Ex-Ole Miss basketball coach Kermit Davis shows remarkable character with selfless acts for program

Kermit Davis just couldn’t find the right formula with the Ole Miss Rebels men’s basketball team, which led to a mutual parting of ways last week after going 2-13 in SEC play this season (10-18 overall).

Davis may not be with the Rebels any longer, but his support for the basketball program continues to live on.

Ole Miss began life without Davis on Saturday when they faced the LSU Tigers as interim head coach Win Case led the squad. They come out on top with a solid 82-69 win for their 11th of the season and third SEC victory.

Following the game, Davis’s Twitter account retweeted a post from Ole Miss’s basketball page that said “Saturday night DUBS!!!”

But an even greater show of character from Davis came when Case spoke with the media after the game and said that Davis was still selling potential recruits on the Rebels program. 

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Case noted that Davis preached Ole Miss’s values and how special the program is while hoping the recruits keep the Rebels in mind when making their decision for the next step in their basketball future.

Most coaches want nothing to do with the university or school they were leading once terminated, but Davis took the high road and remained positive even after having to leave his post.

“My family and I are extremely thankful for the opportunity to lead the Ole Miss men’s basketball program the past five years,” Davis said in a statement following the announcement that he was parting ways with the school.

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Davis made his mark as Middle Tennessee State’s had coach from 2002-2018. He reached the NCAA Tournament three times during his tenure there, including the team’s first-round upset of Michigan State in the 2016 dance.

Davis moved on to Ole Miss before the 2018-2019 season. In 154 career games, he owned a 75-79 record with the Rebels. He also coached at Idaho and Texas A&M.