DOVER, Del. – Delaware State University President
Allen L. Sessoms has announced the appointment of Ed
Davis, the Lady Hornets head basketball coach, as the institution’s
interim athletics director for the next year.
Coach Davis has signed a one-year contract, effective July
1, to serve as the university’s top athletics official
on an interim basis while the institution undertakes a national
search during that period for a permanent athletics director.
As the interim athletics director, Davis will oversee the
entire Department of Athletics and will report directly to
the university president.
The DSU president said he is confident that Coach Davis
will provide the Department of Athletics the organizational
leadership it will need during this transitional period.
“I have taken great note of Coach Davis’ success
in leading the DSU women’s basketball program to a
record-setting season, and I have come to believe that he
also possesses the administrative management skills to get
us through this interim period,” Dr. Sessoms said. “There
have been a number of changes in the Department of Athletics
over the last year, and we believe Coach Davis will provide
the needed stability that will enable the coaches, administrators,
and staff to do their jobs in the most efficient way.”
Under the recently revised DSU athletics structure, the
institution’s football, and men/women’s basketball
programs will report directly to Coach Davis. All other men’s
sports programs – indoor and outdoor track, cross country,
wrestling, tennis, and baseball – will report directly
to Kim R. Walker, associate athletics director for operations
and compliance. All other women’s sports programs – indoor
and outdoor track, cross country, bowling, tennis, soccer,
volleyball, softball, field hockey, and cheerleaders – will
report directly to Constancia Hayes, senior women’s
athletics administrator.
Both Ms. Walker and Ms. Hayes will report directly to the
interim athletic director. Coach Davis will also continue
to serve as head coach of the Lady Hornets basketball team.
The interim athletic director has already distinguished
himself as a head coach of DSU women’s basketball.
Since taking over the Lady Hornets prior to the 2000-01 season,
Davis has a 66-52 record, and has led the team to the MEAC
Tournament championship game in three of his four years at
the helm. In the four years prior to Davis’ arrival,
the Lady Hornets were 36-85 and failed to advance beyond
the quarterfinals of the annual conference tournament.
Last season, Davis led the Hornets to new heights, recording
a school-record 21 wins (21-9) and capturing a share of the
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular season title
for the first time in team history. The MEAC rewarded his
2003-2004 season coaching success by naming him Coach-of-the-Year.
Prior to arriving at DSU, Coach Davis spent eight years
as the women’s basketball head coach at Bowie State
University (Md.), where he posted an overall record of 165-62
and turned the Bulldogs into one of the top Division II programs
in the country. His Bowie tenure included three Central Intercollegiate
Athletic Association (CIAA) championships, three NCAA Tournament
appearances, and several “coach of the year” awards.
His career coaching record is 231-106.
Davis succeeds Dr. Hallie Gregory, former DSU athletics director
from July 2000 to May 2004, who stepped down to accept a teaching
position.
