Nov. 26, 2007

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Clarke College Head Men's Basketball Coach Jon Davison announced Wednesday that the upcoming 2007-08 campaign, his 39th season as a collegiate head basketball coach, would be his last.

 

Davison, who has spent 42 years in the coaching and teaching profession, announced his retirement at a news conference at the Robert and Ruth Kehl Center in front of family, friends, co-workers, players and former players.

 

"There comes a point when it's time to move over and let the next person assume your responsibilities," said Davison, who enters this season with a 499-478 career record. "And I guess this is the time. When decisions are made, you usually sleep on them and I've probably slept on this one for two years. After hours of thought and after hours of prayer and discussion with my family and assistants, it has been a decision that has been well thought out."

 

"I think my family would have liked me to have made the decision back when we won the conference championship, but I wasn't ready at that time," said Davison, who also serves as Clarke's head men's golf coach.

 

"We've very appreciative of Jon's contributions to Clarke College," said Clarke Athletic Director Curt Long. "Jon's been a leader and mentor in our department."

A native of Aledo, Ill., and a 1961 graduate of the University of Dubuque, Davison started his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater in 1966.  Davison logged over 300 wins in 27 seasons as head coach at UD. His squads posted an overall won-loss record of 371-320 and had four 20-plus win seasons.

During the 1980's, Davison's squads dominated the Iowa Conference, compiling the best won-loss record over that 10-year period. His 1986, 1988 and 1990 squads won the Iowa Conference championship. The Spartans qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament in 1981, 1986, 1988 and 1990.

Davison was named Iowa Conference Coach of the Year in basketball in 1986, 1988 and 1990, and in golf in 1975. In 1990, he was awarded the Paul Maaske Award as Iowa's Small College Coach of the Year. He coached eight conference Players of the Year at UD.

Davison served as director of athletics, head men's basketball coach (27 years), head golf coach (15 years), head track coach (six years), head tennis coach (three years), head cross country coach (10 years), head baseball coach (one year), assistant football coach (eight years), associate professor of physical education and department chairman (20 years) at UD at various times from 1966 to 1993.

Davison lettered in four sports at the UD, where he garnered four letters in both football and track, two in basketball and one in baseball. He earned his bachelor of science degree in physical education from the University of Dubuque, and his master of arts degree in teaching from Michigan State University.

After a three-year hiatus from collegiate coaching, Davison joined Clarke's coaching staff in 1996. He guided his 2005-06 squad to a 17-10 mark and its first Northern Illinois - Iowa Conference championship. Clarke finished 11-1 overall in league play. The Crusaders' championship season came on the heels of a 20-7 campaign in 2004-05.

Heading into last season, Davison ranked 11^th among NCAA Division III active coaches in career victories with 490.

"I've been blessed because I've been getting paid for my hobby," said Davison. "I can't think of anything I'd rather do because of the joy, the satisfaction, the energy that these young people give you and the enjoyment that you see in their eyes and the smiles in their faces."

Davison guided Clarke's men's golf program to seven straight Northern Illinois - Iowa Conference championships from 1999 to 2005. Davison was named the conference Coach of the Year in 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04. He was named the 2004-05 NIIC Co-Coach of the Year.

"I owe a lot of thanks to the city, to the University of Dubuque for those 27 memorable years I spent there and to Clarke College for the support they showed after my mother's death and now during my wife's illness--it has been just heartwarming. But there comes a time when you have to move over."

 

Davison met his wife, Nita, while a student at UD, and two of their children received their degrees from the institution.

 

"I've always thought that when you leave a position, you want to leave it in better shape than you found it," said Davison. "And I certainly feel good about our players at Clarke, our younger players in both golf and basketball. From that perspective, I'd like to stay on forever, but you can't stay forever. I don't want to be known as a guy who stuck around too long."

 

Davison will be leaving a solid program at Clarke.

 

"I can't go out with two better seniors than DeMonte Bynum and Brian Harris," said Davison. "They've been great attributes to the program, they've both been on championship teams here at Clarke. We have a really good group of freshman and a good list of upperclassmen who will return next year, so I think the program will be solid for the years ahead."

 

The Harris family has been a part of Davison's coaching career from start to finish. Harris' father, Denny, played on Davison's first squad at UD, while Jay Harris, Brian's older brother, finished his career at Clarke in 2003 and still ranks third on the college's all-time scoring list.

 

Davison's 12th and final season at Clarke will begin on Nov. 10, when the Crusaders face William Carey College in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.