Dabney Davis Most Successful AAU Basketball Coach in Brevard History, Posted Amazing Record of 270-4

2019 SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE

SPACE COAST DAILY TV: Coach Dabney Davis became the most successful AAU basketball coach in the history of Brevard County with an amazing won/loss record of 270-4. This was a county, state, and national record that has never been broken. He also coached junior high football and basketball. His three-year career won/loss record in football was 18-0, winning three straight County Championships.

EDITOR’S NOTE: With the 2020 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympic Games getting ready to take place all across the Space Coast for two weeks beginning later this month, we thought it appropriate to spotlight this Space Coast Sports Hall of Famer.

2019 COACHING INDUCTEE

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA (Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame) – Charles “Dabney” Davis a graduate of Orlando High School and moved to Cocoa with his family who operated Dabney’s Variety Store in downtown Cocoa.

He received an Associate degree from the University of Florida, a Bachelor’s from Florida Southern College and a Master’s Degree from the University of Colorado.

During his 30-year career in the Brevard County School system that began in 1956, he served as a social studies teacher, coach, advisor, counselor, business manager, director of vocational studies and administrator at Cocoa Junior High, Cocoa High and Cocoa Beach High.

He coached junior high football and basketball. His three-year career won/loss record in football was 18-0, winning three straight County Championships.

In basketball, his won/loss record was 35-1, winning three straight Brevard County championships.

Coach Davis was a long-time football official with the Central Florida Officials Association and was a charter member of the Brevard County Officials Association, the forerunner of the Mid-Coast Officials Association.

 

The Amateur Athletic Association, which was founded in 1928, was a  league for Brevard area amateur athletes. These players as amateurs would be eligible for participating in the Olympics.

Coach Davis became the most successful AAU basketball coach in the history of Brevard County with an amazing won/loss record of 270-4. This was a county, state, and national record that has never been broken.

His teams, sponsored by Brevard Ambulance, averaged a record-setting 110 points per game during the regular season.

The team went on to the AAU National Tournament where they won the first-round game, and despite scoring 104 points, came up short in the second round losing 112 to 104.

Coach Davis’ most famous team, sponsored by the Samoa Lounge in Cocoa Beach, was the only AAU team in the history of Brevard County, State of Florida and Southeastern United States to have a perfect season at 40-0.

The “Headhunters” defeated legendary player and three-time All-American Bob Pettit’s team to win the Southeastern Regional Championship and earned a third straight trip to the AAU National Tournament in Macon, Georgia.

They won the opening game and were defeated in the second-round game by the Armed Forces All-Stars.

The Samoa Lounge Headhunters included Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame alumni Danny Tharpe, Charles “Phil” Smith and Dick Blake; and also outstanding athletes Brooks Henderson, Dick Danford, Jack Wilson, Charles Casey and Fred Johnson.

“I could have coached the Headhunters by telephone as there was an awful lot of very talented athletes on that team,” said Coach Davis.

Coach Davis was selected as AAU state and southeastern Coach-of-the-Year three times. When the Olympics started to allow professionals to participate, the Athletic Union began sponsoring high school sports.

Coach Davis was certainly among the most popular teachers and administrators in Brevard County history and was very proud of the many former students who went on to be successful in many professions.

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