Kermit Davis Eager To Lead Ole Miss Hoops

Kermit Davis walked onto a makeshift stage constructed on the floor of the court he will put a product on next fall as he returned to his home state to be introduced as Ole Miss' next head men's basketball coach. As Davis took the microphone to address a host of fans sitting in the seats in front of him, he alluded to what he'd like to build this brand into. "We built a a national brand of basketball at Middle Tennessee State," Davis said. "What is the Ole Miss Basketball brand going to look like? Relentless, athletic and a team that is going to play hard and be tough to beat. We are going to play fast and smart, get easy buckets in transition." Davis spent 16 years at a mid-major program in Murfreesboro. Admittedly, he didn't go seeking opportunities elsewhere as other jobs came along and then passed by. This one felt right to the 58-year-old Mississippi native. "We were there for 16 years and really happy there," Davis said. "I was comfortable and thought I might spend the rest of my life there. I always said I would only leave for a prestigious university in the best conference in America." "As the process went on, I knew this was the place for me. I wanted to align myself with leadership that I trust, aggressive-thinking leadership and leadership that is all-in with Ole Miss Basketball. The infrastructure there and all of the things I feel about coming home to the state of Mississippi and coaching in the SEC. It will all be a perfect fit." The first step for Davis will be building a roster. In the next couple of weeks, he says he will travel to meet a number of current Ole Miss signees in Serrel Smith and Zach Naylor. "We have a system of play," Davis said. "It's a system we know how to recruit to meet the needs in order for Ole Miss to be successful in this system. I think with this product to sell, we are going to get new players." It will also consist of meeting with the current players on the Ole Miss roster and fighting the attrition that naturally comes with the fickle industry that is college basketball. Davis says he feels good about the conversations he has had with the current players, many of whom were in attendance as he was introduced. "As I went through this process I was only worried about two things, my players at Middle Tennessee and the players at Ole Miss," Davis said. "We have had great positive conversations with all of them and talked about the process. We had a great team meeting. They have all been very receptive and this is just a start. I told those guys I don't come into one team meeting and think I know everybody and can figure everyone out. It's going to be a process. I told them this is natural." Davis will bring Ronnie Hamilton and Win Case off of his staff at Middle Tennessee and said he will conduct a search for the third assistant while also meeting with the current Ole Miss assistant coaches. He has a $900,000 pool for assistant coaches. "One thing Ross has done is he has given us the means to go out and hire as good a staff as anyone in the SEC," Davis said. "We are going to do that." Davis has a record of 403-238 as a head coach. He boasts nine seasons of 24 or more wins and is an eight-time conference coach of the year. All of these were factors that kept Ross Bjork gravitating back to Davis throughout the search process. He morphed a struggling Blue Raider program in a consistent winner and spoke with a sense of eagerness to continue building on what has been started at Ole Miss. "I am in heaven," Davis said. "We are carrying a big bat into recruiting. I know a lot of people in the SEC carry one too, but we've got an experience we can really, really sell."

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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