Kermit Davis Sr. Had Lasting Impact On Bulldogs
July 28, 2022 | Athletics, Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
As a player and coach, Kermit Davis Sr. had huge moments at Mississippi State.
STARKVILLE – On Saturday night (July 30) down in Jackson, Kermit Davis Sr. will be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. And when it happens, an argument could likely be made that no one started putting together their Hall of Fame resume earlier in life than Davis.
A former Mississippi State men's basketball player and coach, Davis went to first grade with another young boy by the name of Bailey Howell. Their paths would soon split, but unknowingly, Davis had put the tiniest piece of a foundation in place for a career that'd be incredibly impactful at Mississippi State, and in the Magnolia State as a whole.
Now Davis' Hall of Fame credentials go far beyond what all he did in Starkville. As a high school basketball coach, Davis compiled an outstanding 187-31 record. Yet what he did prior to that as a Bulldog player, and what he did after that while wearing Maroon and White as coach, were things that legends are made of.
Judge for yourself. Let's start here. Alongside a banner honoring broadcaster Jack Cristil, there are only two names of folks that played or coached at State that hang from the rafters at MSU's Humphrey Coliseum – Howell and legendary head coach Babe McCarthy. Davis had a direct hand in helping make both the MSU icons they are.
Consider McCarthy. He was just about to begin his Mississippi State tenure, but first had to put together a roster. His very first recruit? Well, it just so happened to be Davis.
Davis was considering his college basketball options when he was playing in a high school tournament in Baldwyn, Mississippi. One major factor holding him back was he wasn't sure who the Bulldogs' coach was going to be.
McCarthy was at the tournament as well and over the course of the event, had a discussion with Davis.
"We went down to the dressing room at Baldwyn," Davis recalled. "We went in there and he said, 'Kermit, give me your right hand.' I put it over there. He said, 'Shake hands with me. You're shaking hands with your coach. I'm going to be the basketball coach there at Mississippi State.'"
Davis was MSU bound, and his first act as a Bulldog was to get McCarthy some big help…literally.
"[McCarthy] said there was one thing he wished I'd do," Davis remembered. "He asked, 'Do you know any big boys?' I said, 'Well, I do. I know one by the name of Bailey Howell.'"
More than a decade had passed since the two had been in first grade together, but they'd played against each other some in the years that followed their separation and now here Davis was putting the pieces in place for them to reunite in Starkville. And reunite they did. With Davis at guard, Howell began his ascent towards the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and McCarthy began his incredibly successful 10-year stint at MSU that'd eventually include four Southeastern Conference championships.
As for Davis, big things were ahead for him as well. His MSU playing days preceded his remarkable high school coaching career, then he became an assistant with the Bulldogs under Joe Dan Gold. Ahead of the 1970-71 season, Davis became Mississippi State's new head coach.
He won an SEC Coach of the Year award in his very first season. Then a couple of years later under Davis' watch, Jerry Jenkins and Larry Fry became the first black student-athletes in Mississippi State men's basketball history.
Over his lifetime, Davis has won in all areas. Like any good guard, he had big assists – both on the court and off as it turned out. He helped break barriers. Now, after it all, he's a Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer. Who'd have thought being first-grade classmates with Howell would be a piece of the puzzle leading to all of that?
"It's certainly a good feeling," Davis said of his Hall of Fame honor. "I'm 86 years old and I've been here a long time. It's a big thing that I'm proud of and looking forward to [the induction] really.
"It's a great thing. There've been a lot of games. It's been all worthwhile and I'm excited to be a part of it."
Davis joins former MSU football coach and athletic director Bob Tyler as well as former wide receiver Eric Moulds as individuals with Mississippi State ties being inducted as part of this year's Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame class.
