Although it has been said that the British victory at Waterloo had is foundation on the playing-fields of Eton, future American victories in battle may trace their foundation to the wrestling room at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

And the odds are good for future American heroes as coached in wrestling by Reg Wicks. Wicks coached 26 years at the Naval Academy, assisting National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member Ed Peery from 1974 to 1987, before taking the reins of the program from 1987 to 2000.

Wicks led his teams to a 174-60-5 record and an Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association tournament championship in 1990. From 1989 to 1995, the Midshipmen placed in the top three at the EIWA tournament, including runner-up finishes in 1988, 1991, 1992 and 1994. Wicks coached 17 EIWA champions, 35 NCAA qualifiers and six NCAA All-Americans.

The annual dual meet with Army has always stood out for Navy wrestling. Wicks teams extended an impressive Navy winning streak that was finally broken after 34 years when Army won in 1997. The Midshipmen responded in 1998 with a victory, intent on starting another streak.

He was named EIWA Coach of the Year in 1990 and three of his wrestlers earned the Naval Academy Sword, awarded to the Outstanding Male Athlete of the Academy.

Wicks began his wrestling career in Decorah, Iowa, under the direction of Coach Larry Poock. Wicks progressed steadily through his freshman and sophomore years with moderate success, but in 1963, as a junior, he pulled it all together and finished with an 11-0-1 regular season record. As a senior in 1964, he went 11-0 with nine falls while winning the Northeast Iowa Conference championship and the district championship at 154 pounds en route to the finals at the Iowa state wrestling tournament.

He continued his education and wrestling career at Iowa State University under the legendary Dr. Harold Nichols. At Iowa State, he developed into one of the top collegiate wrestlers in the country. He placed fourth, second, and third at the Big Eight Conference tournaments in 1966, 1967 and 1968, respectively. In 1967, Wicks won the prestigious Midlands Championships and was runner-up the following year. His crowning achievement came in 1968 when he won the NCAA Division I national title at 160 pounds while helping ISU win the team national title.

Wicks began his coaching career as an assistant at Mankato State from 1969 to 1971. He then served as head coach at Wisconsin–Stevens Point from 1971 to 1974, before moving on to the Naval Academy.

He is remembered in wrestling circles for his intense work ethic, technical knowledge, and commitment to developing young men on and off the mat. His impact on collegiate wrestling, both as an NCAA champion and as a respected coach, continues to be felt.

Wicks was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1998.