Head Football Coach
Chris Gicking will be entering his 6th season at the helm of the Marple Newtown Tigers football team in 2019. On March 25th, 2014, Gicking became the 11th head football coach in Marple Newtown history. A Broomall native, Gicking joins the Tigers with over a decade of high school coaching experience. He spent the seven years prior as an offensive coordinator in the Central Athletic League with the Pioneers of Conestoga High School.
Prior to his arrival at Conestoga, Gicking played one year at the quarterback position for the Augusta Stallions of the Arena II Football League in 2001.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from NCAA Division II Shippensburg University in 2000.
While at Shippensburg, Gicking was a three-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference All-League player and was named Offensive Conference Player of the Year and an All-American in 1999 under head football coach William “Rocky” Rees.
Gicking, the former Captain of the Raiders, claimed the following records as quarterback between 1998-2000: passing yards in a season and career; passing yards per game in a season and career; touchdown passes in a single game and career; yards per completion in a season and career; yards per attempt in a season and career; pass efficiency rating in a season and career; season passing yardage all-time; career passing yardage all-time; third all-time in single game passing yardage with 388 yards.
Currently, Gicking is the all-time passer in yards per completion in a season (17.27, 1999) and career (15.75, 1998-00) and yards per attempt in a season (9.63, 1999) and career (8.18, 1998-00). In addition, he is second all-time in career passing yards (6,365) and season passing yards (2,832).
Gicking received a full athletic scholarship from Villanova University to play for the Division I-AA (FCS) Wildcats under head coach Andy Talley before transferring to Shippensburg in 1998.
A native of Broomall, Gicking was a three-year starter for the Marple Newtown Tigers varsity football team at the quarterback position under the late head coach and Athletic Director, Jim Smith.
From 1993 through 1995, Gicking excelled under center for the Tigers and still holds the following records: single game passing yards (360); season passing yards (2,320); career passing yards (5,897, also a Delaware County record); touchdown passes in a season (25); and touchdown passes in a career (53).
A 1996 graduate of Marple Newtown High School, Gicking was an All-Central League, All-Delco and All-State selection and named the Delaware County Times Player of the Year in 1995. In 2004, Chris was inducted into the Marple Newtown High School Athletics Hall of Fame.
For 11 years, Gicking was an elementary school teacher in the William Penn School District where he taught kindergarten at Colwyn Elementary School.
In July 2014, Gicking joined the faculty of Culberston Elementary School in the Marple Newtown School District where he teaches 1st grade.
On June 23rd, 2015, Coach Gicking was appointed athletic director and dean of students at Marple Newtown High School replacing Dennis Reardon.
Chris and his wife, Donna (MN Class of 1998), who reside in Broomall, have three children, Olivia, Christopher and Nolan.