Evans Davis Tabbed For Men's Basketball & Cross Country Position

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Armstrong Atlantic State announced today that Evans Davis has accepted the position of men's basketball assistant coach and head men's cross country coach for the Pirates. Davis will be the top assistant to head men's basketball coach Jeremy Luther, as well as responsible for beginning the men's cross country program, dormant at AASU since the 1999 season.

A former standout at Mercer University, Evans has spent the last three seasons as a member of Matt Kilcullen's men's basketball staff at the University of North Florida. He was elevated to the top assistant spot prior to last season, where he helped the Ospreys to their best record in Division I competition in 2008-09.

In his playing days, Davis played for two seasons at Truett McConnell in Cleveland, Ga., then transferred to Mercer, where he averaged 10.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in two years for the Bears. He began his collegiate coaching career at Mercer as a graduate assistant for the women's program, then went to Truett McConnell and spent five years as both an assistant and as the head men's basketball coach there before joining the University of North Florida coaching staff in 2006.

"I have known Evans for the last seven years," coach Luther said. "He played for coach Mark Slonaker at Mercer, where I assisted, and he has had a lot of success at all levels of college basketball, from being the head coach at Truett McConnell to being the top assistant at UNF.

"He brings a wealth of experience to AASU and I am extremely pleased to have him on my staff. I believe he is a rising star in the business."

"I'm excited about the tremendous opportunity to be a part of the Armstrong Atlantic State program," Davis said. "I like coach Luther and [Athletic Director] Andy Carter's vision of where they want the program to be and I'm ready to get started on helping achieve that vision."

In addition to his duties with the men's basketball staff, Davis will also be the head coach of the reinstated men's cross country team, which will compete this fall after a 10-year hiatus. Men's cross country last competed at AASU in 1999 and the Pirates will open the fall season in September.

"I'm looking forward to building a successful cross country program at AASU as well," Davis said. "I understand that we will have our ups and downs, but I freely accept the challenge and I'm confident we will be successful."

Evans earned his bachelor's degree in communications from Mercer in 2000. The Decatur, Ga., native will begin work immediately.