Former NFL defensive back LaMarcus Hicks enters his fourth season at Northwestern in 2026. Hicks will take on the role of defensive backs coach after coaching cornerbacks from 2023-25. 

Hicks coached the NU cornerbacks room in 2025 that ranked fifth in passing defense in the Big Ten with 193.5 passing yards allowed per game. The Wildcats held their opponent to under 200 passing yards in seven of the first eight games of the 2025 season. 

Redshirt sophomore cornerback Josh Fussell registered 28 total tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss and a team-high nine pass breakups in 10 starts en route to an All-Big Ten Third-Team selection. The Cincinnati native ranked third in the Big Ten in pass breakups and first among underclassmen in the conference. He was the third Wildcat to post at least 12 pass breakups as an underclassman since 2005, joining Greg Newsome II and Matthew Harris.

In 2025, the NU defense allowed 19.8 points per game as a team, ranking sixth in the Big Ten and 23rd in FBS. It marked the best scoring defense by a Northwestern team since 2020, and the best in a full season since 2015. Northwestern’s defense ranked fourth in the Big Ten, producing 20 total takeaways during the season (11 fumble recoveries, 9 interceptions), while the team’s 11 fumble recoveries also led the Big Ten and ranked 11th in the nation.

During the 2024 season in Evanston, Hicks contributed to a Northwestern defense that allowed only 15 passing touchdowns, sixth fewest in the Big Ten and 33rd fewest nationally. The Wildcats picked off 10 passes and allowed just 11.36 yards per completion. 

He helped the Wildcats to an 8-5 record, a 5-4 mark in conference games which tied for second in the Big Ten West and a Las Vegas Bowl Victory over Utah in his first season at Northwestern in 2023. The ‘Cats intercepted 13 passes, the third-most in the Big Ten and 25th nationally, and allowed just 182.9 yards per game through the air which ranked sixth in the conference and 15th nationally. According to SP+, a tempo and opponent-adjusted metric that measures efficiency, Northwestern recorded a defensive rating of 18.6, the 18th best mark nationally.

Hicks joined the Wildcats after spending the 2022 season in the same role at Utah State and has previously spent time working with the secondaries at Eastern Michigan, Bowling Green, Jackson State, North Texas and Concordia (Mich.).

In 2022 with Utah State, Hicks' Aggies allowed just 205 passing yards per game (31st in the nation) while recording 11 interceptions. Prior to joining Utah State in 2022, Hicks spent two seasons as the cornerbacks coach at Eastern Michigan, including serving as the team's defensive recruiting coordinator in 2021.

During the 2021 season, Hicks helped Eastern Michigan to a 7-6 record and an appearance in the Lending Tree Bowl. The Eagles finished the season ranking third in the Mid-American Conference and 32nd in the nation with nine fumble recoveries and was fifth in the MAC with eight interceptions.
In 2020, Hicks was an integral part of an EMU defensive staff that orchestrated one of the best red zone approaches in all of college football. Eastern Michigan held opponents scoreless in the red zone eight times in 28 attempts, making EMU the top red zone defense in the MAC and the seventh-best in the nation. The Eagles defense also proved to be successful at forcing turnovers throughout its six games in 2020, recovering nine fumbles (first in the MAC, 11th nationally) while recording three interceptions.

Prior to his arrival at Eastern Michigan, Hicks spent the previous two years as the secondary coach at Bowling Green (2018-19). The Falcons tallied 13 interceptions in Hicks' two seasons at BGSU, while ranking sixth nationally in passing yards allowed during the 2018 campaign at just 167.6 yards per game.

Hicks spent two years (2016-17) at Jackson State as the safeties coach. Hicks was part of a defense that ranked in the top 40 in the country in total defense at 341.6 yards per contest in 2017. The team ranked No. 29 nationally in passing efficiency allowed (116.68) and No. 16 in passing yards allowed (171.3). In his first season at JSU in 2016, the program ranked in the top 35 nationally in total defense (348.9) and passing yards allowed (188.0).

From 2014-15, Hicks worked as defensive backs coach at North Texas where seven different defensive backs tallied an interception in 2014. Cornerback James Jones was named to the Conference USA Second Team, leading the team with nine passes broken up and ranking second on the team in tackles.

Hicks worked the 2013 season as the defensive backs coach at Concordia (Mich.). He also worked two seasons (2011-12) at Truman High School in Taylor, Michigan, as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. In 2011, he helped the Cougars improve 15 points per game in scoring defense. The following season, Truman went 9-2 and won its second playoff game in school history while allowing only 11.3 points per game. While at Truman, he also served as the school's head track coach.

Hicks began his coaching career in 2010 at Rhodes College (Tenn.) as the wide receivers coach.

As a player, Hicks spent two seasons as a defensive back for the Detroit Lions, appearing in 12 games and recording 12 tackles from 2007-08 after originally signing as an undrafted free agent in 2006.

A native of Clarksdale, Mississippi, Hicks spent his collegiate career at Iowa State as a safety, graduating in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in liberal studies. In his senior season with the Cyclones, he recorded a conference-leading five interceptions and was named First Team All-Big 12 Conference and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week twice.

Hicks and his wife, Ashley, are the parents of Markia, LaMarcus II, and two sets of twins, Ashton, Auston, Landon and Layton Hicks.