The Davis surname is fairly synonymous with football in South Florida.
After all, Butch Davis was first a star assistant coach under Pro Football Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson during the Miami Hurricanes’ raucously successful run in the mid- to late-1980s.
Davis later took over the Hurricanes program and also last decade helmed the Florida International Universsity (FIU) program.
Today, a new Davis in charge of a South Florida football program.
NAIA member-school St. Thomas University on Wednesday named Drew Davis as the program’s second-ever head coach. HIs predecessor, Bill Rychel, is hanging up his coaching whistle and shifting to the role of St. Thomas University Vice President for Athletics.
On staff with St. Thomas the past four years, Drew Davis previously coached under his father at FIU. He played collegiately as a reserve quarterback in the Southeastern Conference at Ole Miss for then-Rebels head coach Hugh Freeze.
Davis was a member on the 2014-15 Ole Miss squads that amassed some 20 wins and also defeated Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl.
A year ago, Davis was selected to the prestigious AFCA 35-under-35 leadership class.
“I am beyond honored and humbled for the opportunity to serve as the head football coach of St. Thomas University,” he said in a school release that announced his hiring as head coach. “I want to sincerely thank President (David) Armstrong and Bill Rychel for their trust and confidence in me.
“Together, we will continue to pursue excellence that represents the university and competes at the highest level.”
The St. Thomas University Bobcats football program was launched less than a decade ago, but it has quickly found success on the NAIA landscape. The Bobcats have three times advanced into the NAIA Playoffs and also been featured in the association’s national rankings multiple times in multiple seasons.
The Bobcats just concluded a 7-4 2025 campaign that ended in the opening round of the NAIA Championship Series in a 42-35 road loss at Carroll College (Montana).