Mississippi Valley State University has named Mike Davis as the 13th head men’s basketball coach in program history, announced in May 2026.
Davis brings more than 35 years of coaching experience, including 24 seasons as a head coach and 14 postseason appearances. Over the course of his career, his teams have reached the 20-win mark nine times and produced 15 winning seasons.
He has compiled a 412-360 overall record as a head coach with stops at Indiana University, UAB, Texas Southern University, and University of Detroit Mercy. During that span, Davis led his programs to nine NCAA Tournament appearances, including four with Indiana, one with UAB, and four with Texas Southern.
Davis is widely recognized for his tenure at Indiana, where he succeeded legendary coach Bobby Knight and guided the Hoosiers to the 2002 NCAA Championship game and a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. He finished his six-year stint at Indiana (2000–06) with a 115-79 overall record and five postseason appearances, including three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths to begin his tenure.
Following Indiana, Davis took over at UAB (2006–12), where he compiled a 122-72 record and led the Blazers to four consecutive postseason appearances, highlighted by an NCAA Tournament berth in 2011. That season, UAB posted a 22-9 record and earned Davis Conference USA Coach of the Year honors. His teams also achieved four straight 20-win seasons and maintained strong academic performance, including four consecutive semesters with a perfect APR score.
At Texas Southern (2012–18), Davis posted a 115-89 record and dominated Southwestern Athletic Conference play with an 88-20 mark. His teams captured four regular-season titles and four SWAC Tournament championships, advancing to four NCAA Tournaments. In 2018, Texas Southern earned its first NCAA Tournament victory, defeating North Carolina Central in the First Four. Davis was named SWAC Coach of the Year three times (2013, 2015, 2016), and his players earned numerous individual honors, including five SWAC Player of the Year selections.
Most recently, Davis served as head coach at Detroit Mercy (2018–24), where he coached his son, Antoine Davis. Antoine Davis finished his career as the second-leading scorer in NCAA Division I history with 3,664 points, just three shy of Pete Maravich’s record. He also set the NCAA record for career three-pointers (588) and earned two Horizon League Player of the Year honors.
Davis began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Alabama (1995–97) and Indiana (1997–2000), where he built a reputation as a strong recruiter and player developer. Among the notable players he helped develop were A.J. Guyton, Kirk Haston, and Jared Jeffries, all of whom earned national recognition and professional opportunities.
As a player, Davis starred at University of Alabama, where he scored 1,211 career points and ranks among the program’s all-time leaders in steals. A former Alabama Mr. Basketball and All-American, he helped lead the Crimson Tide to multiple postseason appearances.
Davis is married to Tamilya Davis and is the father of three children: Antoine, Mike Davis Jr., and Lateesha. He most recently served as an assistant coach at University of Memphis from 2024–26 before joining Mississippi Valley State.
Mike Davis Coaching Career
1990–95: Assistant Coach, Wichita Falls Texans / Chicago Rockers
1995–97: Assistant Coach, Alabama
1997–2000: 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
2024–26: Assistant Coach, Memphis
2026-Present: Head Coach, Mississippi Valley State
