Kermit Davis Sr., a member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame who played for and later coached Mississippi State, died Monday in Tupelo at 91, his family said. He was surrounded by family at the time of his death, the family said.
Davis was Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in 1971, his first season as Mississippi State’s head coach, and later fathered former Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis Jr., who said Monday that his father had “91 great years.” “I think the highest compliment a man can have is when his children all say he was their best friend,” Kermit Davis Jr. said.
Born and raised in Walnut, a small community in Tippah County, Davis led Walnut High School to the 1954 state championship in the smallest classification and then to the overall state crown in the Tournament of Champions, according to a 2022 column by Rick Cleveland. Davis’ high school success drew the attention of Mississippi State coach Babe McCarthy, who recruited him to play for the Bulldogs.
The Cleveland column also recounts that McCarthy asked Davis to recommend taller players to recruit, and Davis suggested Bailey Howell, who became a standout at Mississippi State. Howell averaged 27 points and 17 rebounds for his State career, the column said, and many of his baskets came on passes from Davis.
After his playing career, Davis led Tupelo High School to back-to-back state championships, and his son credited him with teaching people skills as much as basketball. “He was the ultimate people person. He treated people right. He cared about people and people knew it,” Kermit Davis Jr. said. Davis Sr. was preceded in death by seven siblings, the family said.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
