This week On Deck we talk with the leader of one of the elite and most successful programs in all of Division II, Mike Davenport. Coach Davenport is of a rare bread that has had the same softball coaching position his whole career. In his 19th season as coach at the University of North Georgia he has has overseen the programs move from NAIA to Division II and in that time has compiled seven 50 win seasons. The seven-time Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year has amassed an amazing 815 wins during that time along with 11 conference regular season titles, 10 conference tournament championships, and five NCAA Southeast Region Championships. All those successes contributed and cumulated to the programs National Championship in 2015.
Lee Dobbins: Coach Davenport you have been an example of great longevity at one institution now starting your 19th season as Head Coach at North Georgia, building it from it’s infancy making it a powerhouse along the way. What have been the key factors to bring this type of sustained success to a program in smaller athletic department and rural town like UNG and Dahlonega.
Mike Davenport: My coaching career here at UNG began on the basketball court as the Asst. Women’s basketball coach which I did for four years. During that time it was evident to me that Dahlonega and UNG had the potential for being my home for a long time. I loved the proximity to the city of Atlanta as well as other bigger cities such as Chattanooga, TN, Greenville, SC, and even close enough to the beaches of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Living in the Southeast and recruiting kids to the Southeast gave our players the opportunity to access these areas but all the while living in a small college town established on the first U.S. Gold Rush and being surrounded by the Blue Ridge mountains. It took me some time to look at this program and facility and really feel like we could continue to move forward with all areas of it and grow into a competitive program. The first, and most important piece was the recruiting piece which didn’t take me long to realize that although new to the game of fastpitch, the state of Georgia had tremendous female athletes and upcoming high school and travel ball programs. With so much talent being located in our backyard and the benefits of being a State university utilizing the Hope Scholarship we felt like once we got kids to campus that we would have a college experience that they could be proud of and that their families could share in as well.
Dobbins: Over the last few years recruiting has been a major topic of conversation particularly when it comes to the average (young) age that Prospective Student Athletes are being recruited at and them making verbal commitments to programs; Legislation has been installed on the NCAA Division I level that has dramatically curved this as of late. Have you seen any trickle-down affect to whats happening at Division I that is affecting Division II? Would you like to see any changes at the Division II level to be more in-line with this?
Davenport: From the competitive-side of recruiting I felt like the DII, DIII, and NAIA levels as well as possibly a few mid-majors benefited from the early recruiting that was going on in our sport. Many programs were advising recruits that their recruiting needs were completed for often times high school seniors thru high school freshman so it became easier for us to identify what kids were still looking for a “home”. It also provided us a better time-frame to watch prospects develop as they moved from their sophomore years into their junior and senior years. The other positive for our level was that transfers were becoming more prevalent because I believe we “all” were making incorrect decisions at the younger ages – the prospects, parents, high school coaches, travel ball coaches, and most importantly the college coaches. As much as I feel we benefited indirectly from the early recruiting of prospects, I did not and do not feel it was/is healthy for the game of softball. All of those involved should work to put a young lady in the “best” possible situation for her and her family – and the older she is in the process the better decision she and those around her will make to help her succeed.
Dobbins: Division II seems to get a raw deal sometimes in recruiting and most seem misinformed with the actual level of play when comparing to the Division I level. What do you see as the challenges at this level when educating Prospective Student-Athletes that DII can be as competitive (if not more) than some on the DI level?
Davenport: The “level” of a college program is not indicative of the “level” of competition of a college program, and that goes for all levels. Within each classification there are several levels of competition that each program competes at, and that’s okay. Often times college softball programs overachieve based on a direct reflection of the amount of financial and scholarship support they are provided. The challenge of finding the right program goes deeper than the classification the programs, the enrollment of the institution, and also the amount of funds each program is given by that institution.
Dobbins: I recently heard a phrase directly referenced to collegiate softball; “The era of the free agent has begun.” The transfer rates in recent years have exploded to an all-time high, particularly this year the implementation of the Transfer Portal seemingly making it easier to move institute-to-institute. What are your thoughts on transfers, and do you feel that DII benefits in these transfers as much as or maybe more than DI?
Davenport: The opportunity to transfer without restriction should be in place, but it should also come with some governance. No matter what level you compete at the last 5-6 kids on each roster most often desire to have more playing and I understand that. If they feel like there is somewhere they can be more productive then that is understandable. We also need to be sensitive to family reasons as well as academic and social reasons to help the student-athlete find the best environment for themselves, and unfortunately this comes after they put themselves into a situation that they now do not desire. But, with that said we need to be careful that all those involved are being honest regarding the “reason” to move programs and we should also be reasonable as to the experience we are attempting to pass along to the student-athlete may come with some challenges and also some times that you must honor “your” commitment to the program and also your current teammates.
Dobbins: Having built a consistent Top 10 program like you have and succeeded at winning National Championship at the DII level, your name seems to be brought up every off-season for openings at the DI level. Do you feel any urge or have the interest in a move to the DI? Does that appeal to you to see how you would do at the next level?
Davenport: When I was coaching women’s basketball I had the privilege to attend a Don Meyer coaching clinic in Nashville, TN and two learning moments from that clinic will always stay with me throughout my coaching career. The first was a high profile college coach was set to speak but neglected to fulfill his commitment because he had just jumped to the NBA and the point was made to always “remember and take care of those that helped you get to where you are at on your way up because those are the same people you will pass when you fall on your way down”. And secondly, most importantly was listening to the late Pat Summitt (who replaced this individual) and her words of advice that will forever stick with me – “It’s why you coach, not where you coach”. She went on to explain that when she took over the University of Tennessee program it was nothing like the product we see today, she droves vans, she swept the floor, she washed uniforms. And she took pride in doing those things because it’s what needed to be done and she was not above doing them. And this is no different in our program – we all do our part – and no one is void of doing anything. This example came early in my college coaching career which I think really put me in a place to really dig my heals in and make something “where my feet are”. My “why” has never changed – because of the love I have for the bat and ball sport and also the opportunity to coach the kids that not only we choose but they choose us. If an opportunity to coach at another institution presents itself it will not change my priorities of “why” I coach.