Hope College

Mike Ricketts coached football at Hope College over two stints, including as defensive coordinator from 2003-2021.

Ricketts’ first stint at Hope started in 1995 and lasted till the 1998 season. The 1997 squad won the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship.

From 1999 to 2002, Ricketts spent four years at his alma mater, Augustana College (Illinois). The Vikings won 33 games in that span, along with two College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin championships, and two playoff appearances. He served as the defensive coordinator for the last two years, where his units finished in the top 10 nationally in scoring and total defense.  

In his first two seasons at Augustana, he coordinated the offense. In 2000, the Vikings finished third in the nation in rushing offense. In his first season, Augustana ranked second in the nation in rushing offense.  

Before arriving at Hope, Ricketts spent the 1992 and 1993 seasons as the defensive coordinator at St. Lawrence University (N.Y.).

From 1989-1991, Ricketts was the defensive coordinator at Frostburg State University (Maryland). Frostburg State won the 1991 ECAC Southwest Championship and recorded 26 victories during the three years he spent there.  In Ricketts’ first year as defensive coordinator, his defense led the nation in total defense, rushing defense, and passing defense.

Ricketts got his start in coaching while serving as a graduate assistant at Eastern Illinois University during the 1988 season.  

Ricketts graduated from Augustana in 1988. He was a three-year starter who was voted team captain. The Vikings captured 1984, 1985, and 1986 Division III national championships during his days as a player and Ricketts was part of a team that won 60 consecutive games. He was named team MVP in his senior year. 

Ricketts also holds a master’s degree in sports administration from Eastern Illinois University. His wife, Trina, is a teacher at Holland Public Schools. They have three children: Nathan, Morgan, and Nolan.