Coach Hatchett Killed In Cycling Accident

Stokes told police before he could check his mirrors and get in the left lane, his car hit the rear bicycle, which Phillip Hatchett, 55, of Russellville was riding.

Hatchett, a 1985 graduate of Western Kentucky University and four-year letterman for the men’s golf program, spent eight seasons as head coach of the program and led a resurgence in recent years since taking over in 2010.

In 2017-18, Hatchett’s top individual player, Billy Tom Sargent was named to the all-Conference USA second team and became the second Hilltopper to qualify for a NCAA Regional as an individual and the first since 2008.

Perhaps more than the success on the course, education took an even greater role in Hatchett’s program In 2012-13, 2016-17 and 2017-18, his teams were the standard for academic success on The Hill as they earned the men’s sport program academic team of the year award for posting the top cumulative grade point average among all WKU men’s sport programs.