Mike Davis leaves Texas Southern, will coach Detroit Mercy

More than 10 years after he was fired by Indiana University — even after an NCAA runner-up finish in the 2001-02 season — Mike Davis is headed back to the midwest. Davis, who coached Texas Southern to four NCAA tournaments the last six years, has accepted the men’s basketball job at Detroit Mercy.

“He’s done a tremendous job at Texas Southern University,” said vice president of intercollegiate athletics Dr. Charles McLelland to Fox of Houston. “We owe him a great debt of gratitude for all that he’s done. I know he’s going to do well there. It’s going to be a huge loss for Texas Southern.”

Davis is a former Bob Knight assistant, and one who has garnered national attention with his scheduling at Texas Southern. Last year, each of his team’s non-conference games were played on the road.

Not only did Davis lead Indiana to the national championship game in 2002, a game lost to Maryland 64-52, but he also coached the Hoosiers to four NCAA Tournaments in six years. From there, Davis was hired by the University of Alabama-Birmingham, where he struggled to lead the Blazers to more than one tournament in five years.

Texas Southern came calling next, and his success with the Tigers is what led Detroit to make the hire after it fired former coach Bacari Alexander back in March.