His appointment has generated statewide and national interest, while re-energizing the Drake program. A proven winner, Davis is respected and popular.

Davis came to Drake with a sparkling record and reputation as a tremendous teacher after heading successful programs at Lafayette, Boston College, Stanford and Iowa.

"I've enjoyed the city, the school and the people," said Davis. "The people here are trying so hard to make this (rebuilding job) happen. I can¹t do it alone ‹ it's got to be a group effort."

Entering the 2005-06 season Davis ranks No. 9 among the winningest active NCAA Division I coaches by victories with 568. He has constructed a 568-322 record (.639 winning percentage) in 30 years as a college head coach, enjoying 15, 20-plus victory seasons.

Davis wasted little time in opening eyes during his first year at Drake. Despite fielding the youngest team in the Missouri Valley Conference, Davis guided a Drake team that was picked to finish ninth in the 2003-04 MVC preseason poll to a surprising sixth-place finish.

"Tom Davis brings a wealth of experience to Drake," said Drake Athletics Director Dave Blank. "He has one of the most renown basketball minds around. He has a proven track record in rebuilding several college basketball programs. He is a tremendous teacher and, coupled with his background in Iowa, we felt that Tom Davis is the right fit for Drake University. "

"Drake is a terrific school and if I didn't think I could win here I wouldn't have taken the job," said Davis. "I have always enjoyed teaching and coaching and I had missed being out of the profession."

Davis was the winningest coach in University of Iowa basketball history, posting a 269-140 record in 13 years at Iowa (1987-99), leading the Hawkeyes to nine appearances in the NCAA Tournament (1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999) and two trips to the National Invitation Tournament (1995, 1998).

Davis has continued to rely on his up-tempo style, running style and relentless rebounding attack which were trademarks of his successful teams at Iowa. "Since I coached in high school I have loved the fast break, getting up and down the court," added Davis. "We will try to have the same running attacking style both offensively and defensively at Drake."

Davis' career also includes the following accomplishments:

*Five straight 20-win seasons and 16 seasons of at least 20 wins in a career that spanned 28 seasons.

*Five straight post-season appearances and 16 post-season bids.

*Seven 20-win seasons and eight post-season appearances in the 1990s.

*Iowa won 17 tournament titles under Davis, including the Great Alaska Shootout, the Maui Classic, the San Juan Thanksgiving Shootout and the San Juan Christmas Shootout.

*He was the only league coach to be honored as Coach of the Year in his initial season in the Big Ten Conference.

Davis' numbers at Iowa support the success he has enjoyed throughout his entire coaching career.

Davis had an opening act in Iowa City that was the best in Iowa history. The Hawkeyes won a school-record 30 games in 1987-88, including championships at the Great Alaska Shootout and two other in-season tournaments. An 18-game winning streak to open the season earned Iowa the nation's No. 1 ranking. Iowa won 24 games in 1988 and 23 in 1989, 1993, and 1996.

The accomplishments of Davis' first Iowa squad didn't go unnoticed. Davis was named the 1986-87 Associated Press National Coach of the Year in addition to Associated Press and United Press International Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year, the only coach in the history of the conference to receive such recognition in his initial season.

Davis led Lafayette to a 116-44 record, including three 20-win seasons in six years (1971-77) with teams receiving bids to the National Invitation Tournament twice (1972, 1975).

Davis transformed a losing Boston College program into a 15-11 winner in his first season. In his final three years with the Eagles he produced one NIT (1980) and two NCAA (1981, 1982) tournament teams.

His five-season mark at Boston College was 100-47. Davis' 1981 Boston College team won the Big East Conference regular season title, while also advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1975. The Eagles advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight that season.

Davis' 1983 Stanford team was 14-14, significant because it was the school's first non-losing campaign in a decade. The 1984 unit won 19 games, the most victories by a Cardinal team in 24 years.

More than 30 players Davis has coached have played in the NBA. Five former assistant coaches under Davis are now scouts for NBA teams.

Davis has had considerable international experience. He directed the U.S. National Team to a gold medal in the 1981 World University Games, beating the Soviet Union twice.

Davis led all-star teams to Yugoslavia (1977) and Australia (1985), his 1983 Stanford team to Japan (for the Kirin World Basketball Games), his 1987 Iowa squad to Korea and China and his 1991 Hawkeyes to Europe.

During the summer of 1994, Davis coached a Big Ten Conference All-Star team on an eight-game tour in Argentina and led the Hawkeyes on an eight-game, 16-day tour through Europe. He also coached Iowa on a six-game tour in England in the summer of 1998.

He lectured at a coaching clinic in West Germany as part of the 1985 European championships and headed a Nike Clinic in Greece (1987). Davis also coached the West team at the 1985 National Sports Festival.

The author of a book detailing offenses against the zone defense, Davis is a frequent lecturer on the running game and pressure defense.

A 1960 graduate of Wisconsin-Platteville, Davis was a four-time letterwinner who sparked the team to the NAIA Tournament twice. He established a school field goal percentage record as a senior team captain.

After graduation, Davis served as head coach at high schools in Milledgeville, Ill. (1960-61) and Portage, Wis. (1962-66). He assisted with the basketball program at Maryland (1967-69) as a graduate assistant, freshman coach and varsity assistant. Davis was an aide at American University from 1969-71.

Davis earned his bachelor's degree from Wisconsin-Platteville, and master's degree from Wisconsin and his doctorate from Maryland. Davis and his wife, Shari, an accomplished artist, have a son, Keno, who is an assistant coach on the Drake staff.

What Others are Saying About Tom Davis

"Everybody plays a lot of minutes under Tom Davis. It doesn't matter who's in the starting lineup because every player gets an opportunity to play. Davis is also a great teacher of the game. His teams have good patience."
-Billy Packer, CBS Sports

"Tom Davis is a purist. Trademarks of his teams include being well coached and well-drilled. His teams are always fundamentally sound. He has a great basketball mind."
-Dick Vitale, ESPN and ABC Sports