Hall of Fame
Chris Gicking is the 1999 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division Offensive Player of the Year and a three-time All-PSAC performer who starred at quarterback for the Red Raiders under head football coach Rocky Rees from 1998-2000. Gicking spent his freshman season at Villanova before transferring to Shippensburg.
Gicking re-wrote the passing record books at Shippensburg. At the time of graduation, Gicking held more than 10 school records, including career passing yards (6,365), career passing touchdowns (65), career total offensive yards/game (189.4) and single-season total offense (2,631 in 1999).
His banner season came as a junior in 1999. As the Western Division Player of the Year, Gicking set single-season school records with 2,832 passing yards and 25 passing touchdowns. His passing efficiency rating of 161.36 also set a school record and paced the PSAC Western Division. He completed 56 percent of his passes and threw just five interceptions over 294 attempts.
The Red Raiders set multiple team offensive records in 1999 with Gicking under center, including 450.1 offensive yards per game, 6.3 yards per play, and 398 total points. Gicking earned All-PSAC Western Division First Team honors in 1999 – he was selected to the Second Team in 1998 and 2000.
As a sophomore in 1998, Gicking’s first with the Red Raiders, he made an immediate impact with 1,756 passing yards and 21 passing touchdowns compared to just five interceptions. He also led the PSAC West and ranked second in the conference with a 150.14 passing efficiency rating.
In Gicking’s three seasons as Shippensburg’s starting quarterback, the Red Raiders posted a 20-13 record: 7-4 in 1998, 8-3 in 1999 and 5-6 in 2000. To this day, Gicking remains third all-time at Shippensburg in career passing yards.
After graduation and a one-year stint at quarterback for the Augusta Stallions of the Arena II Football League, Gicking became a teacher and is in his 19th year coaching high-school football.
He has spent the last five seasons as the head football coach at his alma mater, Marple Newtown High School. He is also in his fifth year as the school’s athletic director and dean of students. The Fightin’ Tigers had not won a football playoff game before Gicking’s appointment as coach; they have since made the state playoffs in three of the last five seasons and claimed the 2016 Central League Title.
Prior to Marple Newtown, Gicking spent eight years as the offensive coordinator with the Conestoga Pioneers. Gicking’s father has been coaching by his side for all 19 of his seasons.
Gicking has been married to his wife Donna for 13 years, and the couple have three children: Olivia (10) Chris (8) and Nolan (4). The family lives in Broomall.
