Head Coach Second Season Tennessee Wesleyan ‘70
JIM DAVIS He holds a master’s degree from Tennessee Tech, has led teams to Ohio Valley Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference championships, and has found coaching success on every level from the Tennessee high school ranks to the WNBA. He’s the perfect fit to take the reins of the tradition-rich Tennessee Tech women’s basketball program.
to a 23-3 record with a roster featuring only freshmen and sophomores.
Jim Davis was named in July of 2012 as the head coach for the Golden Eagle women’s basketball tea
“I am very aware of the winning tradition of Tennessee Tech women’s basketball under the leadership of coach Marynell Meadors and coach Bill Worrell,” Davis says. “Coach (Sytia) Messer did a great job during her short tenure on the plateau. The team is positioned to become champions of the Ohio Valley Conference for years to come.”
“Jim is a proven winner and we are fortunate to get a veteran coach to lead our women’s basketball program,” said Director of Athletics Mark Wilson. “He is a man of high character, a great educator of the game of basketball, and he is the right fit to lead our program at this time. “We look forward to him carrying on the traditions of academic excellence and winning championships,” Wilson said. A native of Englewood, Tenn., Davis’ coaching resume includes junior high and high school positions, a brilliant six-year span at Roane State Community College, one championship year at Middle Tennessee State, 18 highly successful seasons at Clemson University, a year in the WNBA with the Minnesota Lynx, and the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Young Harris College in Georgia. “Being a native Tennessean, I have a feel for the culture and values of the Upper Cumberland, the state and the region,” Davis said. “The basis of my coaching philosophy is a result of my relationships and upbringing in that area.” Following 18 successful seasons as head coach at Clemson and two as Assistant Athletic Director, Davis tried retirement but quickly found he still yearned to coach. In 2009, he served as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx. In 2011, he accepted an assistant coaching assignment at Young Harris College and helped create a new program. In just one season, he helped take the team from inception
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“It was wonderful to be back on the floor teaching, coaching, recruiting and game-planning,” Davis says. “That’s when I realized I yearned to lead a program again.
The majority of Davis’ past coaching career was at Clemson, and his record includes a lengthy list of highlights. In 18 years, he led his team to 16 post-season appearances including 14 trips to the NCAA Tournament and two WNIT appearances. While earning 355 victories, he brought the program into national prominence, guiding the Tigers to two championships in the tough Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). His Clemson teams advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 four times and climbed to the Elite Eight one time, and he posted 51 victories over Top 25 teams. Clemson made it to the ACC championship game six times, claiming the title in 1996 and 1999. The team achieved 20 wins or more in 11 of his 18 seasons, and earned Top 25 Final National Rankings 11 times. Davis was named the ACC Coach of the Year in 1990 and 1994. The record book reflects 520 all-time victories in his 26 seasons as a collegiate head coach, and he is the winningest basketball coach – men or women – in Clemson history. He was inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. Even more impressive than his on-court record is the academic success of his student-athletes, a trait that brands him as a natural fit for Tennessee Tech, another program built on high academic standards. During his span as Clemson head coach from 1987 through 2005, Davis saw every single fouryear player receive her degree.