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Olivia Sayer
Georgia’s logo on display during an NCAA college softball game between Florida and Georgia at Jack Turner Stadium in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday, April 28, 2024. Florida won 10-7. (Photo/Mady Mertens: @MadyMertensPhotography)
It is not often a collegiate head coach voluntarily leaves his position to become an assistant for another program. However, that’s exactly what Georgia softball convinced North Georgia’s Mike Davenport to do earlier this week when the team hired him as an assistant coach.
“This was a family decision for me,” Davenport said in a statement. “And through our Faith, we knew that this was an opportunity we all wanted to be a part of.”
Davenport joins the Bulldogs with an impressive resume. In 24 seasons as the Nighthawks’ leader, he won two national championships, 17 conference regular season titles and 15 conference tournaments.
Competing at the Division II level, Davenport accumulated over 1,000 victories at North Georgia. He also coached the Nighthawks to a 51-game winning streak in 2010, which is the second longest in NCAA history.
“The coaching resume speaks for itself,” head coach Tony Baldwin said in a statement. “We are excited to add someone with his recruiting experience, player development skills and overall leadership ability.”
Davenport developed many All-Americans and two National Players of the Year while at North Georgia. He also instilled a team-oriented culture in the Nighthawks by beginning each season with “RBI Week,” where athletes competed in “team building exercises” and a “pre-season conditioning program.”
His hiring received positive reaction from both current and former Bulldogs, who took to social media to express their excitement.
Georgia softball is coming off a solid 2024 season that saw the team begin much stronger than it finished. The Bulldogs are also losing 10 seniors, including home run leaders Jayda Kearney and Sara Mosley and aces Madison Kerpics and Shelby Walters.
Davenport, along with the rest of Georgia’s coaching staff, will aim to deliver the Bulldogs’ 23rd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and first College World Series title.