Athletic Director Abby Davis

ARKANSAS TECH 2022 FOOTBALL

AThlETic DirEcTor • AbbY DAvis • 1sT YEAr AbbY DAvis @ArkAnsAsTEch_AD

NOTEWORTHY : • Named full-time Athletic Director in June 2022 • Became the first-ever female AD in Tech history • Is first female college AD at a public institution in the state of Arkansas • Spent 18 years as head women's tennis coach at Tech; winningest coach • Four-time GAC Coach of the Year

Abby Davis has been a fixture at Arkansas Tech for over two decades serving as a student-athlete, coach, educator, mentor and administrator. In June 2022, after three years as the department's Interim Athletic Director, Davis made history as the interim tag was taken away from her title and she became the first-ever female Athletic Director in Arkansas Tech history.

Tabbed as Interim Athletic Director in August 2019, Davis led the ATU Athletic Department through some of the most challenging circumstances imaginable.

Just a few months into her role as Interim AD, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the United States and in the middle of March 2020, collegiate sports were abruptly suspended for the remainder of the athletic year. Over the next few months, Davis worked alongside athletic leaders and medial professionals within the Great American Conference and the NCAA to find ways to facilitate a safe and healthy return to competition for all sports at Arkansas Tech.

Following a conference-wide decision to postpone fall sports in 2020 to spring 2021, Davis continued to work hard to ensure that resumption of competition would be done so in a safe and healthy manner. In January of 2021, Arkansas Tech resumed competition and practice in all sports.

Despite the challenges throughout her time as Interim Athletic Director, Davis continued to lead the athletic department forward and played an integral role in improving the department’s fundraising efforts with numerous financial gifts and pledges secured to benefit the more than 300 student-athletes at Arkansas Tech. The projects that Davis has spearheaded fundraising efforts for include facility upgrades, scholarship opportunities for studentathletes and overall enhancement of the studentathlete experience.

Davis' leadership during the unprecedented time as Interim AD also yielded success in competition as Arkansas Tech has captured Great American Conference regular season and/ or postseason championships in volleyball, women's basketball, men's golf, baseball and softball as well as an NCAA Division II Central Region title in women's golf and an NCAA Division II national championship in men's golf. The ATU Athletic Department also continued to enjoy success in the classroom under Davis. Spring 2022 marked the 10th consecutive semester in which ATU studentathletes achieved a cumulative grade point average above 3.0. As she was serving as Interim Athletic Director, Davis remained the head coach of Golden Suns tennis, but has stepped aside from that role now that she is full-time athletic director.

ARKANSAS TECH 2022 FOOTBALL

In 18 years as head coach, Davis became the winningest coach in Arkansas Tech women's tennis history with a career record of 206-154. Davis and the Golden Suns posted a winning record in 13 of her last 15 seasons. The 2021-22 season marked the 14th consecutive year in which Arkansas Tech played postseason tennis.

Under Davis, Arkansas Tech claimed three regular-season conference titles and one conference tournament championship, including both championships in the inaugural year of the Great American Conference. The Suns also recorded a 2-2 record in NCAA regional play.

Davis coached over 50 all-conference picks, three conference player of the year selections and five conference freshman of the year honorees. She also was a four-time Great American Conference Coach of the Year.

Off the court, Arkansas Tech was named to the ITA All-Academic Team five of her last six years, and over 50 student-athletes have received conference academic honors. The Golden Suns also represented the Central Region with the ITA Community Service Award in 2017 and 2018, totaling 635 hours of community service.

In the summer of 2019, Davis was named chair of the NCAA National Tennis Committee and served until the conclusion of the 2021-22 year.

Davis' tenure as coach followed a four-year run as a Golden Suns tennis player, where she captured allGulf South Conference honors.

A native of Paris, Ark., Davis lives in Russellville.