Hall of Fame
Bill Ficke ‘69 played basketball at the Abbey during the Al McGuire era for two years before entering the U.S. Air Force. Upon graduation from the Abbey, Bill moved to White Plains, NY, where he had a life-changing experience; he met and married his wonderful wife, JoAnn. In 1975, they moved to Denver, CO, where Bill opened, Fleet Feet, an athletic footwear store.
From 1982-1985, Bill was an Assistant Coach with the Denver Nuggets under Doug Moe, helping to coach the team to the NBA Playoffs for three seasons. Then, Bill became the Head Coach of the Kansas City Sizzlers. In1986, his son was born, and Bill spent the next ten years as a Denver area scout for the Indiana Pacers and New Jersey Nets.
When Bill opened Big Bill’s New York Pizza in 1995, he had no idea it would become a staple in the Denver area. Each year, Big Bill’s holds a 9/11 Day of Giving in remembrance of the September 11th attacks. On that day, rather than paying for a meal, diners make a donation to help cancer patients and support cancer research. Since 2001, the day of giving has raised more than $1.3 million.
