3&2count
06-21-2009, 09:48 PM
http://thefacts.com/story.lasso?ewcd=1173730a5358028f
State champion coach Davis out at Danbury
By Joel Luna
The Facts
Published June 21, 2009
Since late March, Danbury head baseball coach Steve Davis knew he wasn’t returning to lead the Panthers next season.
Carrying the added emotional burden of their coach not being retained, the Davis-led Panthers went on a crazy ride that led them straight to the Class 2A state championship with a 6-5 win against Holliday on March 12 in Austin at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
“I tried not to let it affect anything, but you’ve always got that little pit in your stomach,” Davis said. “You have such a close relationship with all of them, get phone calls or texts from them. And I’ve taught them in class. I’ve watched them grow up and I am so proud of them. Knowing I am not going to have that same relationship with the underclassmen, it has been very difficult.
“Very, very difficult.”
Though he won’t be in the dugout, on the football field sideline or roaming any other sports arena, Davis can remain at Danbury if he wants.
“I’ve got my teaching contract here if I want to stay. But I will not be the baseball coach or any other coach because he (new athletics director Jimmy Thomas) doesn’t want me around the kids,” Davis said. “I’ve not been treated too well.”
On March 27 before the Panthers played Tidehaven in a District 29-2A game, Davis was summoned into Thomas’ office and told of his future at Danbury.
“After about two weeks of him being here — he said I was disloyal and I wasn’t going to be the head baseball coach anymore,” Davis said, breaking his silence for the first time before Danbury headed to the state tournament. “I disputed that, and said I hadn’t been disloyal, that I’ve done everything I can for him and every athletic director we’ve had.
“It wasn’t easy coming in that day, but the kids responded well,” Davis said. “We talked about it before the game and we said it wasn’t going to be a distraction. And as a group, we haven’t discussed it since then.”
Thomas was hired from a pool of 104 applicants for the athletics director and head football coach position in mid-February. He arrived full time in March.
“I can’t go into it; it is a personnel issue,” Thomas said of the move while at the state tournament. “What I want to do is make this as positive as possible and I don’t want to get into it because I don’t think it’s fair to him. That is just something that is between me and him. I just want to thank him for what he’s done.
“Teaching-wise, Davis is still there if he wants to stay,” Thomas said. “I brought in my own baseball coach and that is basically what all of this is.”
Jamie Crocker, who is coming from Friendswood High School, will take over for Davis.
“It hurts a lot, I am not going to lie,” Davis said. “And the kids know, but we said it wasn’t going to be a distraction because we’ve worked too hard for too many years to bring it all down.
“It isn’t just about me, it is about these guys. I’ll be OK one way or the other.”
Davis coached the Panthers for the last eight seasons, compiling a 148-60 record that included three district championships in 2005, 2008 and 2009.
The 2005 title was the first district championship for the program.
Davis guided the Panthers into the playoffs in six of his eight years at the helm. The Panthers made their first playoff appearance in 1997. Davis led the team to its next, and second-ever, postseason in 2003.
In 2004, Danbury won its first playoff game (10-4 over Schulenburg) and first playoff series by sweeping the Shorthorns.
“You think about it, you go from a few years ago when we didn’t even make the playoffs to this year,” senior Scott Zimmerle said on June 9. “We are going to the state tournament and you would think that would be the coach — the one that stays because that is the man that brought it around. And yet he is leaving next year and it is crazy.
“Coach coming to the state tournament and then getting fired, or let off or whatever — that is crazy,” he said.
After the announcement was made about Davis, the Panther squad responded with a 21-2 finish. Their only losses came in a non district game with Conroe Northside (7-1) and in Game 2 of the best-of-three series with Bishop (11-3) in the regional final.
“I was very surprised,” senior Jake DeBerry said. “I figured he’d be the last one to go because he’s always talked about how he’s been here for 19 years and I’ve always said this, ‘He was born else where but he is a true Danbury fan at heart.’ It is weird to see him go. It isn’t something we expected.”
As much as Davis has been affected by the decision, he wasn’t the only head coach at Danbury to be let go. Also replaced was head boys basketball coach Earnest Wilson. Tim Ender will take over the program next season.
But Davis is the one who wound up with a state title in hand.
“When I first arrived here, I got a call and was told this team was 5-97 before I arrived. We are not 5-97 anymore,” Davis said. “I’ve been coach of the year three times and ranked in the top 20 every year since then.
“We’ve done some good things and I am proud of our accomplishments. I just wish everybody was, and for the most part I think most people are.”
State champion coach Davis out at Danbury
By Joel Luna
The Facts
Published June 21, 2009
Since late March, Danbury head baseball coach Steve Davis knew he wasn’t returning to lead the Panthers next season.
Carrying the added emotional burden of their coach not being retained, the Davis-led Panthers went on a crazy ride that led them straight to the Class 2A state championship with a 6-5 win against Holliday on March 12 in Austin at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
“I tried not to let it affect anything, but you’ve always got that little pit in your stomach,” Davis said. “You have such a close relationship with all of them, get phone calls or texts from them. And I’ve taught them in class. I’ve watched them grow up and I am so proud of them. Knowing I am not going to have that same relationship with the underclassmen, it has been very difficult.
“Very, very difficult.”
Though he won’t be in the dugout, on the football field sideline or roaming any other sports arena, Davis can remain at Danbury if he wants.
“I’ve got my teaching contract here if I want to stay. But I will not be the baseball coach or any other coach because he (new athletics director Jimmy Thomas) doesn’t want me around the kids,” Davis said. “I’ve not been treated too well.”
On March 27 before the Panthers played Tidehaven in a District 29-2A game, Davis was summoned into Thomas’ office and told of his future at Danbury.
“After about two weeks of him being here — he said I was disloyal and I wasn’t going to be the head baseball coach anymore,” Davis said, breaking his silence for the first time before Danbury headed to the state tournament. “I disputed that, and said I hadn’t been disloyal, that I’ve done everything I can for him and every athletic director we’ve had.
“It wasn’t easy coming in that day, but the kids responded well,” Davis said. “We talked about it before the game and we said it wasn’t going to be a distraction. And as a group, we haven’t discussed it since then.”
Thomas was hired from a pool of 104 applicants for the athletics director and head football coach position in mid-February. He arrived full time in March.
“I can’t go into it; it is a personnel issue,” Thomas said of the move while at the state tournament. “What I want to do is make this as positive as possible and I don’t want to get into it because I don’t think it’s fair to him. That is just something that is between me and him. I just want to thank him for what he’s done.
“Teaching-wise, Davis is still there if he wants to stay,” Thomas said. “I brought in my own baseball coach and that is basically what all of this is.”
Jamie Crocker, who is coming from Friendswood High School, will take over for Davis.
“It hurts a lot, I am not going to lie,” Davis said. “And the kids know, but we said it wasn’t going to be a distraction because we’ve worked too hard for too many years to bring it all down.
“It isn’t just about me, it is about these guys. I’ll be OK one way or the other.”
Davis coached the Panthers for the last eight seasons, compiling a 148-60 record that included three district championships in 2005, 2008 and 2009.
The 2005 title was the first district championship for the program.
Davis guided the Panthers into the playoffs in six of his eight years at the helm. The Panthers made their first playoff appearance in 1997. Davis led the team to its next, and second-ever, postseason in 2003.
In 2004, Danbury won its first playoff game (10-4 over Schulenburg) and first playoff series by sweeping the Shorthorns.
“You think about it, you go from a few years ago when we didn’t even make the playoffs to this year,” senior Scott Zimmerle said on June 9. “We are going to the state tournament and you would think that would be the coach — the one that stays because that is the man that brought it around. And yet he is leaving next year and it is crazy.
“Coach coming to the state tournament and then getting fired, or let off or whatever — that is crazy,” he said.
After the announcement was made about Davis, the Panther squad responded with a 21-2 finish. Their only losses came in a non district game with Conroe Northside (7-1) and in Game 2 of the best-of-three series with Bishop (11-3) in the regional final.
“I was very surprised,” senior Jake DeBerry said. “I figured he’d be the last one to go because he’s always talked about how he’s been here for 19 years and I’ve always said this, ‘He was born else where but he is a true Danbury fan at heart.’ It is weird to see him go. It isn’t something we expected.”
As much as Davis has been affected by the decision, he wasn’t the only head coach at Danbury to be let go. Also replaced was head boys basketball coach Earnest Wilson. Tim Ender will take over the program next season.
But Davis is the one who wound up with a state title in hand.
“When I first arrived here, I got a call and was told this team was 5-97 before I arrived. We are not 5-97 anymore,” Davis said. “I’ve been coach of the year three times and ranked in the top 20 every year since then.
“We’ve done some good things and I am proud of our accomplishments. I just wish everybody was, and for the most part I think most people are.”