Courtesy of Memphis Athletics
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis men’s basketball head coach Penny Hardaway announced two additions to the team’s staff on Wednesday, with former HBCU head coach Mike Davis and Nolan Smith joining the program as assistant coaches for the 2024-25 season.
Davis comes to Memphis after spending the last six seasons as head coach at Detroit Mercy (2018-24). His coaching resume touts 35-plus years of experience on the sideline, including 24 years of head coaching experience with 14 postseason trips. His squads have recorded at least 20 wins nine times while posting a winning record in 15 of his 24 campaigns.
“I am excited to have coach Davis as part of our program,” said Penny Hardaway “He is a veteran coach and brings a winning mentality to the team with an impressive resume to back it up, both on and off the court.
“Mike has won at the highest level, achieved great success and is a proven leader of young men. He will serve our program in the office, on campus and in the community. We are happy to have Mike and his family in Memphis.”
MIKE DAVIS | ASSISTANT COACH
Mike Davis, who most recently spent six seasons as the bench boss at Detroit Mercy, has compiled a 412-360 overall record with nine NCAA Tournament appearances in 24 seasons as a head coach with stops at Indiana, UAB, Texas Southern and Detroit Mercy. He earned four trips to the Big Dance with Indiana, one with UAB, and four with Texas Southern. Now he joins Penny Hardaway on the staff at Memphis.
Davis is perhaps best known as the successor at Indiana to legendary coach Bobby Knight, leading the Hoosiers to the national championship game and Big Ten regular-season title in 2002.
Davis’ long list of accolades also includes being named Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2011 while at UAB and earning Southwestern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2013, 2015 and 2016 while at Texas Southern, an HBCU located in Houston Texas.
He won five regular season titles with UAB (2011) and Texas Southern (2013, 2015-17), and also brought home four SWAC Tournament titles in 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018.
While at Detroit Mercy, Davis coached his son Antoine Davis for five seasons, who ended up being one of the greatest scorers in college basketball history. The younger Davis wrapped his career as the 2nd-leading all-time scorer in Division I history with 3,664 points, just three shy of LSU’s “Pistol” Pete Maravich (3,667).
In his six seasons at Texas Southern (2012-18), he posted a 115-89 (.564) record, including an 88-20 mark in conference play. His teams won four HBCU regular-season titles and four conference tournament championships advancing to four NCAA Tournaments. In his final season at the helm, the Tigers won their first-ever NCAA Tournament game defeating fellow HBCU North Carolina Central in the First Four.
Under his leadership, five Tigers were named the SWAC Player of the Year, a feat which had never occurred in the league and was the fourth-longest streak in the history of the NCAA. In addition, 11 earned All-League honors, three were tabbed the Defensive Players of the Year, two were selected the Newcomer of the Year and one was picked the Freshmen of the Year.
Mike Davis Coaching Career
1990-95 Assistant Coach, Wichita Falls Texans / Chicago Rockers
1995-97 Assistant Coach, Alabama
1997-00 Assistant Coach, Indiana
2000-06 Head Coach, Indiana
2006-12 Head Coach, UAB
2012-18 Head Coach, Texas Southern
2018-24 Head Coach, Detroit Mercy