Kermit Davis, Sr.

Kermit Davis Sr., 91, passed away Monday, August 10, 2026. He was born Friday, August 2, 1935, to his parents John Davis and Pauline Davis, in Walnut, Mississippi. From an early age, basketball became an important part of his life, eventually carrying him from his hometown to Mississippi State and into a coaching career that would leave a lasting mark on Mississippi basketball.

At Walnut High School, Kermit was a standout player from 1951 through 1955. He helped lead the 1954 team to the Grand Slam Championship and State Championship and was named First Team All-State in both 1954 and 1955. In 1955, he played in the first-ever Mississippi High School All-Star game. In that same year, the legendary Mississippi State coach Babe McCarthy signed Kermit as the first player he recruited.

Kermit played at Mississippi State from 1955 through 1959. He was captain of the 1959 team, which won the SEC Championship and finished third nationally with a 24-1 record. While at Mississippi State, he earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees and was commissioned as an ROTC officer. In 1959, Kermit became the head boys' and girls' basketball coach at Leaksville High School. From 1960 to 1962, he was stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey, as a infantry platoon leader and became a highly successful Army coach.

He returned to Mississippi in 1962 as the head basketball coach at Tupelo High School. Over four seasons, his teams compiled a remarkable 131-23 record and won Grand Slam Championships in 1965 and 1966. Kermit had a gift for coaching young people, and his influence reached far beyond the basketball court. He taught his players the value of discipline, hard work, leadership, and perseverance. In 1966, Kermit returned to Mississippi State as an assistant basketball coach and in 1970 he was named head coach at Mississippi State. He was named SEC Coach of the Year following the 1970-71 seasons. His connection to Mississippi State continued long after his coaching career. He played a vital role in fundraising and planning for Humphrey Coliseum, which opened December 1, 1975, and served as Associate Director of the Bulldog Club from 1980 through 1990.

Kermit also played an important role in the Scott Field expansion, the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, the track and field stadium, and improvements to Dudy Noble Field. His commitment to Mississippi State was about more than basketball. He believed in the university and continued giving his time and energy to its students, athletes, and future. From 1990 through 2002, Kermit served as Vice President of Marketing and Buyer Relations for the Mississippi National Furniture Market. Throughout his career, he remained a respected figure in Mississippi and continued to be closely connected to the people and institutions he cared about.

His accomplishments brought many honors over the years. In 2006, Kermit was inducted into the Mississippi State Hall of Fame. In 2010, he was selected as Mississippi State's basketball legend for the SEC Basketball Tournament. In 2022, he was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

For all that he accomplished in basketball, education, coaching, and business, Kermit's greatest pride was his family. He is survived by his beloved wife of 67 years, Nancy Jo Hogan Davis; children, Kermit Davis, Jr. and his wife Betty Choate Davis, Bill Davis and his wife Keely Monette Davis, and Jennifer Davis; grandchildren, Ally Davis, Claire Johnson and her husband Fletcher Johnson, Kirby Cameron and her husband Brandon Cameron, and Ollie Davis; and great-grandson, Davis Johnson.

Kermit was preceded in death by his parents Pauline Davis and John Davis; his sisters Marty Cardwell, Grace Moore, Helen Rainey Wilkinson, and Hortense Thomton; and his brothers, Hilmon Davis, Jim Davis, and Herman Davis.

Kermit's life was shaped by competition, leadership, and an enduring love for the game of basketball, but the numbers and championships only tell part of his story. His legacy lives on in the teams he led, the university he served, the players he coached, and most of all, the family and friends who were fortunate enough to know and love him.

Honorary pallbearers will include Hutch Hutchinson, Bailey Howell, Charlie Weatherly, Jan Guin, Jimmy Taylor, Matt Clayton, who is representing the late Jerry Clayton, Hunter Davis, who is representing the late Lynn Davis, Straton Karatassos, Charlie Hull and the former players of Tupelo High School 1962-1966 and MSU 1970-1977.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at Pegues, Tupelo.

A memorial service honoring Kermit’s life will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, August 13, 2026, at the Jefferson Street Chapel of Pegues Funeral Directors with Bro. Bryan Collier officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Sanctuary Hospice House at, P.O. Box 2177, Tupelo, MS 38803.

Expressions of sympathy and fond memories may be left at www.peguesfuneralhome.com.