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RFH 2010, Colgate Sports

Davis Reunited With Wojcik as Tulsa Assistant

Tue, May 03, 2011

Davis Reunited With Wojcik as Tulsa Assistant

Emmett Davis, who was fired as men's basketbal coach by Colgate at the end of this past season, has joined the staff of a former colleague from their coaching days at Navy and will be coaching with one of his former players from Colgate.

It was announced today  that the 13-year Colgate veteran has been named an assistant coach at the University of Tulsa, a private university with about 4,200 students in Oklahoma. He joins the staff of Doug Wojcik, who was an assistant coach at Navy with Davis in the 1990s. Also on the Tulsa staff is Jeremy Ballard, who played ay Colgate from 2003 to 2007 and was an assistant under Davis.

"I have the utmost respect for Doug Wojcik and the job he has done here at Tulsa for the past six seasons. My family and I are excited and appreciative of the opportunity to join Doug and the Tulsa basketball community," said Davis.

Davis' hiring comes at the same time as the departure of one of Tulsa's top assistants. David Cason left Tulsa recently week to become an assisatnt to his former college coach Kevin Stallings at Vanderbilt. He as Wocijk's assistant head coach for the past three seasons.

"We are excited about Emmett becoming a member of our basketball program and the Tulsa community," Wojcik said. "We are fortunate to have a coach with Emmett's experience and national background.

"My relationship with Emmett goes back to 1986 when I was a player at the U.S. Naval Academy. Then, when I began my coaching career at Navy he was an experienced full-time assistant coach at that time. Emmett and I worked together side-by-side for eight years, so we became very comfortable coaching together," said Wojcik.

"Our kids are about the same age. His wife played basketball. My wife played basketball and they've known each other for a long time. We've attended each others' weddings so I'm very familiar and very comfortable with Emmett. Yet, I love the expertise and experience that he brings to The University of Tulsa in helping us get to a championship level," added Wojcik.

"Emmett brings great recruiting experience nationally. Colgate is academically a national university, so he has numerous contacts all over the country," said Wojcik. "Another important aspect is chemistry with our staff. In the last two years, we lost my brother, David, and David Cason, who I spent the last 10 years with in the coaching profession. I think Emmett fills that void of having somebody that I know well and has experience, but someone I also know outside of basketball. Emmett brings all of those things and even more to some degree because he was a head coach. He knows the daily routine as a head coach, and the decisions that have to be made. He's been in those shoes before, so he'll be a great sounding board for me."

Davis will also reconnect with one of his former Colgate players, Jeremy Ballard, who was a standout for the Raiders from 2004-2007 and spent three years as an assistant coach for Davis.

A 2003 graduate of Colgate, Ballard earned four varsity letters with the Raiders, and served as a co-captain in his senior season. He played in 63 games during his career including 18 starting assignments during the 2002-03 campaign.

He was only the third two-time winner of the prestigious ECAC Merit Medal Award in Colgate history, and was named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll in 2002 and 2003.

In 2001, Ballard received the team's Hasan Brown Award, given to the player who typifies the spirit of Colgate basketball, and in 2003 he was the recipient of the Coaches Award as the best defensive player.

Ballard received his bachelor's degree in English with a minor in Religion.

Wojcik has been head coach of the Golden Hurricanes for thbe past six seasons. The Golden Hurricanes finished with a record of 19-13 this year and 11-5 in Conferecne USA. He was also an asistant at University of North Carolina, Notre Dame and Michigan State before getting his first head coaching spot at Tulsa.

Wojcik also graduated from the Naval Academy. He was a three-year starter alongside NBA great David Robinson.

His record at Tulsa has been:

  • 2005-06 11-17
  • 2006-07 20-11
  • 2007-08 25-14
  • 2008-09 25-11
  • 2009-10 23-12
  • 2010-2011 19-13.

It was also reported that Davis, 51, was under consideration for an assistant's spot at Sienna College.

A native of Gloversville, Davis played under former Navy and Pittsburgh Head Coach Paul Evans while at St. Lawrence University. He began his coaching career in 1981 at his alma mater as a student assistant coach. Davis then served as a full-time assistant coach at St. Lawrence for three years (1981-84).

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