It’s not unusual in the Davis family. Kermit Davis Sr. was the SEC Coach of The Year at Mississippi State 38 years ago. The elder Davis, often called Big Kerm now, took over a team that was 6-18 and dead last within the SEC. He then improved the Bulldogs’ record to 15-10 and 9-9 in SEC. Kermit Davis Jr. took over a team that was picked to finish 14th out of 14 in SEC. He surprised everyone by taking the team 20-11 (10-8 in SEC). Ole Miss will play somewhere next week when the NCAA Tournament starts. Davis Sr., 82, stated Tuesday that he was proud. “I’ll tell ya this. It is a lot more difficult to watch your son coach than it was for me. Kermit has done it. He has worked hard at it. It’s a great honor to have him back in Mississippi coaching, and so close to his family. Nancy, my wife, and I love having Kermit, Bill, and Jennifer, all within a short distance of each other. The way Ole Miss has accepted Kermit is something I am proud of. His team and his coaching staff are something I am proud of. Kermit’s hard work is what I am most proud of, “He never stops working.” *** You probably know something about the Mississippi State-Ole Miss rivalry. The competition between these two can make normal people insanely crazy. You should also know that Big Kerm is a true Bulldog. He was a part of one of the most prestigious Mississippi State basketball teams and helped Babe McCarthy to recruit Bailey Howell to Mississippi State. He was a coach for seven seasons, and later helped to raise athletic funding through the Bulldog Club. Funny story: Kermit Sr. had almost committed to playing basketball and baseball at Ole Miss. After one of his final high school basketball games, Davis ran into Babe McCarthy who was officiating. Babe asked Davis: “Nice game Davis. Where are you going to college?” Big Kerm replied, “I think that I’m going to Ole Miss to play for Country Graham.” Babe said to him, “Well, that might be something you want to consider.” “I know the next coach at Mississippi State, and I also know that he is interested.” Big Kerm found out who the next MSU coach was: Babe McCarthy. Big Kerm accepted the offer. Here’s the rest: Babe asked Bigkerm if he knew of any tall players looking to play college basketball. Big Kerm said that Bailey Howell, his junior high teammate, was a very good player but hadn’t signed with anyone yet. Bailey Howell was the best college basketball player in Mississippi and was inducted into the International Basketball Hall of Fame. His career averaged 27 points per game and 17 rebounds. Big Kerm, Bailey’s point guard, was there to make sure Bailey had the ball where it was needed. *** Kermit Jr., or Little Kerm, was a gym rat from the time his dad was the successful Tupelo High School coach. Little Kerm and Bill, his younger brother, were regulars at practice and at games. Big Kerm stated that both of them were addicted to basketball. Kermit was the exception to this rule. It was a joy for him. They attended practices and played in games. Sometimes they even served as ball boys. Big Kerm relates that Kermit was on a road trip to Kentucky once. “Joe B. Hall was the Kentucky coach, and they were very good. We were playing really well. With three minutes left, had ’em down by five and had the ball. Then, one of the officials made an awful call and charged Ray White. It was horrible. They beat us in overtime and came back. Although it was difficult for us all, Kermit didn’t seem to stop crying. It was horrible. He was so caring. He was going to coach, I guess. “He just cared so much about it.” This is not to say that Big Kerm didn’t want his oldest son other options. Kermit Jr. was determined to become a coach when he signed up to play basketball at State. Big Kerm insisted that Kermit Jr. study finance and business to protect him from losing his dream of coaching. Big Kerm knew that his son was intelligent, knew he would work hard, and believed he could make a living in business. Big Kerm knew that his highest salary as a State basketball coach was $25,000 per year. Even the SEC coaches were not rich at that time. Big Kerm says, “I tell Kermit about it now.” He makes more in half an hour than I make in a year. But it was a long and winding road to the $10 million, four-year contract Davis signed with Ole Miss. From Southwest Community College to Moscow, Idaho to an unfortunate year at Texas A&M. It was then back to junior college. He became an assistant at Chippola (Fla.), then he moved to Utah State as an assistant. Then he returned to Idaho and was hired at LSU as an assistant coach. Finally, a 16-year stint at Middle Tennessee State saw him beat the big boys enough to win their attention. Big Kerm said, “It’s crazy business.” It can be really difficult sometimes. Kermit kept going, believed, and kept coaching. He learned a lot from the best: Bob Boyd at State and Tim Floyd at Idaho. They were two of his greatest teachers. Kermit Jr. also learned a lot from Kermit Sr. starting when the basketball was nearly as big as the boy who bounced it. Junior is becoming more like Senior with each passing year. I can tell you this from someone who has been watching them for years: they smile and talk alike. They are both people-people. They share a passion for the game and competition. Big Kerm states, “We still discuss basketball a lot.” I’ll tell ya what. “I’ll tell you what. I now learn more from him about it than he does from mine.”