Memphis has added former Detroit Mercy head coach Mike Davis to its staff for the upcoming season, sources tell Hitmen Hoops. Hitmen Hoops also reports that he will join the staff in a consultant role that it is expected to be a one-year position.
Who is Mike Davis?
Mike Davis is a veteran and well-known name in coaching circles with decades of experience. The 63-year-old Alabama native spent his playing days at the University of Alabama. With the Crimson Tide, he concluded his career with a 10.1 PPG average. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the 1983 NBA Draft but never played in the association.
Davis spent time at his alma mater and Indiana as an assistant before earning his first head coaching job in 2000 with the Hoosiers. He made the national title game in 2002 with Indiana but would resign at the end of the 2006 season. Soon after, he took the head coaching job at UAB, where he remained until 2012. With the Blazers, he won C-USA Coach of the Year in 2011 as well as the conference’s regular season title.
Davis would have his most successful tenure with Texas Southern, where he coached after being fired from UAB in 2012. He spent six years with the program, winning SWAC Coach of the Year three times, the conference regular season title four times, and the conference tournament title four times as well.
Time at Detroit Mercy
Following his successful tenure at Texas Southern, Mike Davis would leave the Tigers to coach Detroit Mercy. His son, Antoine, committed there as a member of the class of 2018.
Antoine Davis would go on to have one of the best careers in college basketball history. He became the second all-time leading scorer in the sport, ending just three points shy of LSU’s Pete Maravich after five years with the Titans. The younger Davis is also the all-time leader in three-pointers made in college basketball history at 588. He surpassed Wofford’s Fletcher Magee in his final collegiate season.
The Titans, however, would struggle despite the success of Antoine Davis. In his five years playing with Detroit Mercy, the team finished with a 59-88 record. After Davis graduated and turned pro, the Titans got worse. This past season, they finished with an astonishing 1-31 record.
What Davis Brings
First and foremost, the experience Mike Davis brings in a variety of roles will be tremendously important to the Memphis basketball program this upcoming season. He has experience coaching elite talent, ranging from his own son to former Indiana star Jared Jeffries (2000-2002).
Memphis will get a lot out of Davis in a consulting role. He has experience in the ups and downs of the sport. Hitmen Hoops talked to multiple college coaches about Mike Davis, who have reiterated that Davis is “an exceptional recruiter.” The former Indiana and Detroit Mercy coach also knows how to navigate the murky waters of college basketball. This is a great addition for the Memphis program, adding a coach who brings valuable insight to the team due to his years of experience.
