Who is Nathan Davis, and what was his coaching record with Bucknell Bison?
Bucknell and Nathan Davis have parted ways after eight seasons together, the school announced Thursday.
Although Davis was able to put together impressive records in his first four seasons, he hasn't posted a winning record since the 2018-19 season. Currently, the team is 8-15, with a 1-9 record in the Patriot League.
At Bucknell, Davis went 129-115, including a 76-52 conference record. The Bison won the regular-season title in each of his first four seasons and won the Patriot League's tournament in 2017 and 2018, earning NCAA Tournament bids.
Bucknell athletic director Jermaine Truax spoke about Davis' time with the program in a statement:
"I want to thank Nathan for his contributions to the Bucknell men's basketball program over the last eight seasons. I am grateful for the positive mentorship that Nathan provided to our student-athletes, however, the last four seasons have not met the high standards of on-court success we expect from our men's basketball team."
"The future of Bison men's basketball is extremely bright, and I look forward to returning the program to a championship level."
Above you can view the summer recap with Nathan Davis going into this season.
Where else has Nathan Davis coached?
In addition to his time with Bucknell, Davis spent six seasons coaching the Division III Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets to start his career. There, he went 141-39, including 77-19 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, earning him enough attention to move up in the NCAA ladder.
His team went 89-45, including 58-14 in Patriot League play, capturing four conference regular-season championships and two tournament championships, in his first four seasons. The last four seasons, however, Bucknell went 36-65, including 18-38 in the Patriot League.
The program will now set its sights on finding a suitable replacement to improve its standing in the Patriot League. There's no word on what's next for the former two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year.
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From the sounds of things on social media, Bucknell is targeting Tom Crean to be its new coach. There is speculation that the move will be finalized by the end of the week. In the event of the hiring happening, it's also expected that Ben Howland will sign on as an assistant.
Crean, a two-time Conference USA Coach of the Year and the 2016 Big Ten Coach of the Year, has coached at a high level, spending 10 years with the Marquette Golden Eagles to start his career. That included a run to the 2003 Final Four with Dwyane Wade. After that, he joined the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten.
Following several Sweet 16 appearances, he joined the Georgia Bulldogs, where he and the team have posted several disappointing seasons. Going into this year, his Bulldogs were 47-75. However, this season has seen them go 16-14, including 6-11 in the Southeastern Conference.
Howland led UCLA to three straight Final Fours and also coached at Pittsburgh and most recently at Mississippi State (2015-22). He's a former Naismith College Coach of the Year (2002) as well as a Big East Coach of the Year and Pac-10 Coach of the Year.
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Above, you can view Nathan Davis talking about the first round of the Patriot League tournament.