Lana FergusonKermit Davis is the new Ole Miss men’s basketball coach, the university announced in a statement Thursday. He will be publicly introduced 5:30 p.m. Monday in The Pavilion.
This comes a little more than a month after Andy Kennedy officially resigned mid-season, which immediately began a coaching search.
“After assessing the entire landscape of college basketball and speaking to basketball experts across the country to determine the greatest fit for Ole Miss Basketball, the answer was clear – Kermit Davis is the best coach and best leader to take our program to the next level in the SEC and NCAA,” athletics director Ross Bjork said.
Bjork said Davis, Middle Tennessee’s current coach, stood out from the rest of the possible hires during the coaching search.
“Coach Davis also possesses a great sense of purpose for his program and does it the right way off the court,” Bjork said. “During the process, Coach Davis’ energy, drive, and vision for our program was unmatched, and we can’t wait to welcome him and his family back to the great state of Mississippi and into the Ole Miss family.”
Davis said he is both honored and excited to accept the coaching position in his home state.
“We are extremely grateful to Chancellor Vitter and Ross for giving me the opportunity to lead such a prestigious program in the best basketball league in America,” Davis said. “Coming back to my home state of Mississippi to build a national brand is absolutely a dream come true for us. I am Mississippi Made and cannot wait to join the rest of the Ole Miss family.”
Davis has 36 years of coaching experience, helping lead five different programs to conference championships. He played basketball for Mississippi State before graduating in 1982 and later beginning his coaching career there as a graduate assistant.
