OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi coach Kermit Davis's tenure is over, his team mired in a four-game losing streak and in last place in the Southeastern Conference standings.
Ole Miss Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter said Friday the school and Davis “have mutually agreed to part ways effective immediately.”
Davis has gone 74-79 in five seasons at Ole Miss, which is 10-18 and 2-13 in SEC games.
“We thank Coach Davis for his dedication to the Ole Miss basketball program and our student-athletes,” Carter said in a statement. “No one wanted to bring a title home to Mississippi more than him, and we appreciate the passion for that goal that he shared with our team every day.”
Assistant coach Win Case will serve as acting head coach for the rest of the season.
Davis began his Ole Miss tenure by leading the Rebels to a 20-13 record and NCAA Tournament berth in the 2018-19 season and earning SEC coach of the year honors. Ole Miss made the NIT in 2021.
Before Ole Miss, Davis was at Middle Tennessee State, and is still its winningest coach.
His Division I career record as a head coach is 477-316, and he led Ole Miss, MTSU and Idaho to NCAA Tournament berths.
“My family and I are extremely thankful for the opportunity to lead the Ole Miss men’s basketball program the past five years,” Davis said, calling Oxford "a special place to live and work.”
Carter said a national search has started.
“As we have seen in the past, Ole Miss basketball is capable of competing for and winning championships, and we are determined to find the right leader to help us reach our greatest potential,” he said. “Over the last 15 years, we have invested in the sport as much as any school in the country.
“That commitment, the passion of Rebel Nation and the opportunity to be a part of this great university makes our head coaching position a job that will attract top candidates.”
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