NCAA Basketball rewind: Most impactful coaching hires after 2012 season
By Joey Loose
4. Mike Davis (Texas Southern)
Even if they didn’t have the postseason success to show for it, Texas Southern was a pretty solid program in the SWAC all things considered. They hadn’t made an NCAA Tournament since 2003 but had had some solid seasons in recent years. Still, they turned their attention towards another head coaching search, making a home run hire for the program.
Mike Davis played basketball at Alabama before beginning his coaching career. He spent a few seasons under Bobby Knight at Indiana before succeeding him at 2000, leading the Hoosiers to the national title game in 2002. After success vanished, he spent six years leading UAB, with some highs and lows in his time with the Blazers. Texas Southern offered Davis another new challenge; one he aced with flying colors.
Every single one of Davis’s six years with the Tigers ended in a regular season and/or conference title in the SWAC. He won more than 80% of conference games and led the Tigers to four NCAA Tournaments and an NIT bid. Davis established Texas Southern as the SWAC’s best basketball programs and solidified the program for the future. He departed for Detroit back in 2018, having made an incredible impact in his years in the SWAC.