Coach Richard “Dick” Harris was an outstanding championship basketball coach at Hickory High. Coach Harris was born in 1931 in Hickory and graduated from Hickory High in 1950 as Mr. Hickory High, Most Athletic, and All-State basketball star. He was an All-State JUCO player at East Central Mississippi JUCO in 1951 and 1952 and a two year letterman at Delta State from 1952-54. He played armed services basketball and was named to the All 7th Army team in Europe from 1955-56. His 33-year coaching career began in 1957 when he was named head hoops coach at St. Martin in Biloxi. He led St. Martin girls squad to the 1959 Singing River Conference crown and a district 8 playoff appearance. Coach Harris returned home to Hickory High in 1960 where he would forge a Mississippi high school basketball dynasty. He coached boys and girls hoops teams at Hickory in nearly 1,700 contests over a 27 year span. Dick paced the Hickory boys to a record of 511-260 with 3 Big Black Conference titles in 1961, 1962, and 1963 plus 4 Cherokee Conference crowns in 1965, 1972, 1977, and 1979. He guided the Hickory girls squad to a mark of 718-203 with two Big Black Conference titles in 1962 and 1963 plus 7 Cherokee Conference crowns in 1964, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1976, and 1978. He coached 4 state championship squads in 1964-64, 1964-65, 1973-74, and 1989-90. His boys & girls teams won a combined 17 conference championships, 14 state tournament appearances, 4 state titles, and a record of 1,238-467. Coach Harris was named Coach of the Year an amazing 12 times (6 for his girls teams, 6 for the boys) and was selected as MAC Coach of the Year in 1985-86. Dick was chosen as All-Star coach in 1965 and 1973. He served as President of the Cherokee Conference in 1974-75. Coach Harris was named Star Teacher in 1980. He retired in 1989 after closing his career at Clarke College, Decatur High, and Newton County High. He was inducted into the East Central CC Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990.