Aug. 24—Eastern Oklahoma State College tabbed women's basketball coach Al Davis as the next athletic director for Mountaineer athletics.

"I would like to thank President Wansick for giving me this opportunity to be the athletic director of Eastern Oklahoma State College," Davis said in the release. "I am excited to take on this new role and work with great coaches and student-athletes within our athletic program.

Davis joined EOSC in 2019 when he was named as the new head basketball coach for the Lady Mountaineers. In his tenure, Eastern has won two Region II Conference championships, one conference tournament championship, and an appearance at the National Junior College Athletics Association National Tournament in 2021.

Originally from Gary, Ind., Davis made his way to Oklahoma during his collegiate years, playing two years of basketball at Bacone College in Muskogee before graduating in 2013. He held assistant coaching and recruiting duties at various stops, such as Bacone, Dominican University in Illinois, and Garden City Community College in Kansas before earning his first head coaching job with Eastern.

Davis said he was excited about the opportunity to become athletic director, and is thankful for the trust in him that was given by his predecessor and the EOSC administration.

Eastern President Dr. Janet Wansick said in a release from the school that Davis has been an excellent ambassador for Mountaineer athletics and culture, and is excited to see how he will lead the department forward.

"Coach Davis has been a valuable member of Eastern for three years," Wansick said. "He is invested in our athletic department and has a record of success with his women's basketball team. Coach Davis has also shown he is committed to this community. I think he will bring that level of commitment and excellence as he takes on his new role."

One of the first tasks for Davis will be searching for a replacement for Parker, who was also the head baseball coach at Eastern.

Parker held a 142-39 record and won multiple conference titles during his four years at Eastern, and took the Mountaineers twice to the NJCAA postseason. He departed after accepting a position at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, where he will oversee recruiting under head coach Scott Malone.

"I would also like to thank Coach Parker for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to become the head women's basketball coach three years ago," Davis said.

Davis has always been about building student-athletes both on and off the court, and will be taking that same mentality into his new role. He said that is one of the main points of college athletics, and is a token of pride when he sees his student-athletes succeed.

"I look forward to continuing to build great relationships within our community while watching our student-athletes grow as young adults."

Contact Derek Hatridge at dhatridge@mcalesternews.com.