Martin County High School names new boys basketball coach

WILLIAMSTON, N.C. (WNCT) — A familiar face is returning to Martin County as the new boys basketball coach at the newly named high school.

Antonio O. Davis has been named as the boy’s basketball coach for Martin County High School. He has spent 20 years as a head coach and has 32 years of overall coaching experience on the high school and college levels.

Davis spent the past three seasons at Central State University in Ohio, building a foundation of academic excellence and athletic prowess through the COVID-19 epidemic, which resulted in a change in culture and discipline.

Before his time at Central State University, Davis spent the previous three seasons as the head women’s basketball coach at Elizabeth City State University. At ECSU, he developed four all-conference selections while routinely advancing in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAA) tournament each season.

Prior to coaching at ECSU, Davis served as an assistant at Shaw University from 2013 to 2017, helping the Bears to three CIAA Southern Division Championships, two NCAA tournament appearances, and a CIAA Tournament Championship.

Davis also has experience at the NCAA Division I level, serving as an interim head coach, associate head coach, and assistant coach, with successful stints at North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State University.

He has also been a head coach at Morristown College (1987-88), Livingstone College (1988-91), Kentucky State University (1993-98), and Saint Augustine’s University (2001-07).

“Throughout my career, I have been one to seek out and embrace challenges,” Davis said. “ I look forward to opportunities to build programs into a perennial championship contender. I feel my infectious coaching style will translate seamlessly and inspire championship habits and results,” he added.  “My players can expect a high level of passion and enthusiasm from me every day.”

Click here to read more on Davis’ hire.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT.