Dave Davis

Head Men's Basketball Coach

Office: PE 209

Office Phone: 803-321-5153

Email:

Dave.Davis@newberry.edu

Business Unit:
Athletics

Department:
Department of Athletics

Program / Office
Basketball

Degrees:

Ed.S., Liberty University, 2011

M.A., Gardner Webb University, 1993

B.A., Warren Wilson College, 1983

Bio:

Dave Davis is in his eighth season as head men's basketball coach at Newberry College and 27th season as a collegiate head coach, accumulating over 461 wins.  Davis has had four senior classes (that he recruited) graduate at Newberry in his tenure and each class has ended their careers as the all-time winningest class at Newberry since joining the NCAA. The last four seasons have ended with at least 18 wins and five of the top six-win totals in Newberry NCAA men's basketball have come with Davis at the helm.

 

In 2016-17, Newberry finished the season with an 18-11 overall record and recording a 13-9 mark in the SAC. The Wolves upset No. 23 Lincoln Memorial on the road, snapping LMU's 21-game winning streak at Tex Turner Arena. Newberry led NCAA Division II in steals per game (13.1) and three-point field goals per game (14.2). Marshall Lange was named SAC Freshman of the Year and ECAC Rookie of the Year. The Wolves also gave the final four South Carolina Gamecocks a great game in a November exhibition scoring 89 points, the most points scored in 40 minutes last season and tied with Kentucky for the most scored on a Frank Martin coached team.

 

Newberry has had six consecutive winning seasons and previous to this streak, it had been 31 years since the Newberry program completed back to back winning records. The Wolves have led the SAC in scoring all but one of the seven years since Davis arrived. Newberry has ranked in the top 5 nationally in scoring each year Davis has been the coach and has also been in the Top 5 nationally in steals, forced turnovers, and 3-point scoring on a regular basis. The Wolves have finished in the top half of the league, each of Davis' seven years and finished tied for second in 2015.

 

Davis had previously served as head men's basketball coach at Pfeiffer University before joining Newberry. In his 14 seasons at Pfeiffer, Davis accumulated a record of 284-124 (.696) including 21 championships, NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen appearances in 2000 and 2004, and an NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 2004. Davis' Pfeiffer teams averaged over 20 wins per season and rank in the top five in wins since 1990 in all of NCAA Division II basketball. Davis was named the CVAC Coach of the Year in 1998, 1999, and 2004. He was also named the NCAA East Regional Coach of the Year in 2004.

 

Davis' 2009-10 Pfeiffer team finished as the highest scoring team in Division II at 103.1 points per game and his teams led the country, Division I and II in scoring five times. They scored 66 second half points vs. North Carolina in the Dean Dome, the most points scored against the Tar Heels in one half in the history of their program. The Falcons scored 50 vs Duke in the second half, 56 vs Purdue in the first half and scored an amazing 146 points in a conference game vs Barton in 2010. 

 

Prior to being named head coach at Pfeiffer, Davis was the head coach at Barton College where the team of his own recruits won a record 25 games. He received his first head coaching position at his alma mater, Warren Wilson College, where he led the Owls to their highest win total in 15 years.

 

Over Davis' career he has coached 19 All-Americans and has had 64 former players sign professional contracts, including Danny Huffor, Dondray Walker, Aegir Steinarsson, Tony Davis and Mitch Riggs from Newberry.

 

Davis earned his bachelor's degree from Warren Wilson in 1983, a master's degree from Gardner-Webb in 1993, and educational specialist degree from Liberty University in 2009. As a player for the Owls, he was a 4-year starter and was on two Conference Championship and National Tournament teams. He is Warren Wilson's all-time assist leader and was inducted into the inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2014.

 

Davis has an impressive list of former assistant coaches and players who have excelled at the college and professional levels, headlined by Buffalo Bills General Manager Brandon Beane, Purdue Head Coach Matt Painter, Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Michael Longabardi Connecticut Associate Head Coach Raphael Chellious, North Carolina State Assistant Rob Moxley as well as five Division I head coaches, 16 Division I assistant coaches, nine Division II head coaches, five Junior college head coaches, two college Athletic Directors and five professional General Managers, coaches or scouts.