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Mike Davenport
Mike Davenport is in his 12th season as head coach of the Saints Softball Program in 2011-12. He has been a familiar name to the North Georgia family where he begins his 15th year in the Athletic Department.
In his 11 years as a head coach, Davenport has accumulated an overall record of 465-149.
The 2011 season continued a dynasty, as the Saints captured their third consecutive Peach Belt Conference regular season and tournament championships, and advanced to the Division II World Series for a third straight year. Finishing the year as the No. 4 team in the land, the Saints have now been ranked in the nation's top five for an unprecidented 30 straight weeks dating back to the 2009 season.
The 2010 season proved to be a record breaking campaign as the squad put together 51 consecutive wins, the second longest winning streak in NCAA history and made their second consecutive appearance at the Division II College World Series. Following back-to-back Peach Belt Conference regular season and tournament titles, the Saints clinched the Southeast Super Regional in Dahlonega and finished the year with a national ranking of No. 5 after being the nation's top team for all 12 weeks of the regular season. Davenport picked up his 400th career victory with a doubleheader sweep at GCSU on April 10, 2010.
In 2009, Mike Davenport enjoyed his most successful season in his coaching career, posting the school's best record of 50-5 on their way to the the Peach Belt Conference Regular Season Championship, PBC Tournament Championship, NCAA Southeast Dahlonega Regional Championship, and the NCAA Southeast Super Regional Dahlonega Championship to advance to their first-ever Division II College World Series. North Georgia spent all 12 weeks in the NFCA Division II Top 25, starting the year as the #11 team in the country, before moving up to #9 by week two, and rounding out the top five by the third week. The Saints then spent the rest of the year in the nation’s top five before grabbing the program’s first-ever #1 ranking on May 6, 2009 in the final regular season poll of the year. The Saints finished the season at the #3 team in the country in the final poll of year.
In 2008, Davenport led his team to a 38-15 record, a third place regular season finish in the PBC, a runner-up finished in the Peach Belt Conference tournament, a runner-up finish in the NCAA South Atlantic Regional, and a final NCAA Division II ranking of 12. During the 2008 season, Davenport also picked up his 300th career win with a 3-2 extra-inning victory over Lander University on April 2.
Davenport began his career at NGCSU with the Lady Saints Basketball Team in 1996 as Assistant Coach and served in that role until 2000. He became the Head Softball Coach in August of 2000 and has served in that role as well as instructor in the Health-Physical Education Department. While at North Georgia, he has been part of seven conference titles and five National Tournament (NAIA) appearances. Davenport led the North Georgia Softball Program to a 36-19 record overall and a 12-8 mark in the Peach Belt Conference during the 2007 season. During the 2005 season, he led the Saints to the Southern States Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship and the SSAC Tournament Championship. This marked the Saints fourth consecutive Conference Championship in a row and the program’s third consecutive Tournament Championship. He led the 2005 Saints to the program’s second consecutive National Tournament (NAIA) in Decatur, Ala. At the National Tournament, NGCSU finished its membership in the NAIA with the Saints moving through the first round of the tournament with wins over the University of Mary, Point Loma University, and Aquinas College. The Saints advanced all the way to the quarterfinals with a first round win over Houston Baptist. North Georgia finished the season fifth in the NAIA National Tournament – the highest finish of any NGCSU Athletic Program since 1987. Under Davenport’s guidance, the softball program attributes much of its success to building a strong team atmosphere – opening each school year with “RBI WEEK”, (Respect-Balance-Intensity). Team members come together and participate in team building exercises as well as a pre-season conditioning program. Team members are challenged mentally and physically as they finish the week at the Pine Valley Ropes Course traversing both low and high elements. “RBI WEEK” has allowed the team to build each other’s trust and respect before entering each school year.
Davenport was born on December 23, 1968 in DuQuoin, Illinois. While growing up in central Illinois, he played basketball and baseball at Peoria’s Richwoods High School before moving to Central Oklahoma and graduating from Guthrie high School (Guthrie, Oklahoma). After playing one year of junior college baseball, he focused his attention on coaching and joined the rich tradition of Cowboy Baseball at Oklahoma State University under head coach Gary Ward as a student-assistant. The opportunity to coach led him to Gainesville, Florida where he spent three years as an assistant baseball coach at Santa Fe Community College under head coach Harry Tholen. Davenport received the degree of Bachelor of Science in Recreation from the University of Florida in 1994, and received his M.Ed. in Physical Education from NGCSU in 1998.
Davenport is married to the former Melanie Ralston (Gainesville, GA) and the couple resides in Dahlonega, GA. They are the proud parents of Margaret “Isabella” (9) and Michael “Harper” (6).
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