March 21, 2007

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -After 32 years and 598 wins as a Division I head basketball coach, "Dr. Tom" has called it a career.

Drake announced Wednesday that Tom Davis has retired, and introduced his son, 35-year-old Drake assistant Keno Davis, as the new head coach. Keno agreed to a five-year contract.

The 68-year-old Davis also made stops at Lafayette, Boston College, Stanford and Iowa. He spent the past four years at Drake, leading the once-hapless program to its first winning record since 1987 last season.

The elder Davis skipped Wednesday's press conference in an attempt to keep attention focused on his son.

"I can't imagine spending four more enjoyable years than the last four at Drake," Tom Davis said in a statement released through the school. "I'll miss everything about day-to-day coaching, but will do all I can to help Drake, the players and coaches moving forward.

This will be the first head coaching job for Keno Davis, who was selected his father's successor last spring. He followed his father to Drake in 2003 after stints at Southeast Missouri State and Southern Indiana. He was an undergraduate assistant to his father at Iowa from 1991-95.

Keno Davis had been Drake's top assistant, and current players and incoming recruits were made aware that he would take the reins once his father decided to step aside.

"I feel like I've been ready to be a head coach for a while now," he said. "A lot of things I've been able to bounce off my father, as far as different thoughts, of things that I might do down the road that he's been able to guide me toward. It's been invaluable the last four years."

Tom Davis - known as "Dr. Tom" after earning a doctorate from Maryland - began his head coaching career at Lafayette in 1971, compiling a 116-44 record in six seasons. He also gave current Maryland coach Gary Williams his first break, hiring Williams as an assistant at Lafayette.

"I would not have been a college coach if it wasn't for Tom," Williams told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "Basketball-wise, I saw how important it was to be able to teach. He was a great teacher. It was like a classroom at his practices."

Davis moved on to Boston College, guiding the Eagles to a pair of NCAA tournaments and an NIT berth in five seasons. He then spent four years at Stanford before taking over at Iowa, where he experienced his greatest success.

In 13 season in Iowa City, Davis racked up a school-record 270 wins and led the Hawkeyes to nine NCAA Tournament appearances, including two trips to the round of 16 and one to the final eight.

He was the Associated Press Coach of the Year in 1987, his first at Iowa, after leading the Hawkeyes to a 30-5 record. But Iowa didn't renew Davis' contract following the 1999 season, and former athletic director Bob Bowlsby tapped current coach Steve Alford as his successor.

In the eight seasons following Davis' departure, Iowa has just one NCAA tournament victory.

Davis got back into coaching in 2003 when he took over at Drake. He often said that his tenure at Drake was on a "day-to-day" basis, but after guiding Drake back to respectability, the elder Davis decided the time was right to walk away.

He finishes his career with a record of 598-355.

"I really don't think he got back into the profession because of how it ended at Iowa, or how we would be looked upon, or he'd probably come back for two wins," Keno Davis said. "He talks about how it's not important, and I don't think it is how he's going to be remembered. As a coach, you're remembered by what your players do after school."