Kermit Davis Receives Contract Extension

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com

Ole Miss men’s basketball head coach Kermit Davis received a contract extension Tuesday. Photo by Talbert Toole.

Ole Miss men’s basketball Head Coach Kermit Davis received a contract extension Tuesday that added four more years to his original four-year contract. He received the extension one year to the day he was announced the program’s newest head coach. 

In his first season guiding the Rebels, the SEC Coach of the Year brought Ole Miss back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years with one of the biggest turnaround seasons in college basketball.

“Coach Davis has quickly established a very high standard for Ole Miss Basketball, and he’s building our program for long term success,” Ole Miss Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Ross Bjork said. “He’s the perfect fit for our university, and we wanted to show a strong commitment to his leadership.”

Davis thanked Bjork and Interim Chancellor Larry Sparks for their confidence in Ole Miss basketball. 

“This has been one of the most rewarding years we have ever spent in college basketball,” Davis said. “To watch our staff, players and fan base connect in such a way to set The Pavilion attendance record is greatly appreciated. We will work to grow Ole Miss basketball into a national brand.”

The Leakesville, Mississippi native became the sixth coach in program history to earn the SEC Coach of the Year honor. He is also named as a finalist for the Jim Phelan Award, presented annually to the top coach in Division I men’s basketball.

Davis and the Rebels travel to the NCAA Tournament at the end of the week to take on the Oklahoma Sooners in Columbia, South Carolina. Tipoff is set for 11:40 a.m. on truTV.