Today's interviewee is Craig Davis, the assistant executive director of the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association, director for the Atlanta Nike Coach of the Year Clinic and assistant principal at Wayne County High.
Craig Davis, Nike coaches clinic director
1. What's your background in football, and how did it lead to what you're doing now? "I started coaching football in Georgia in 1992 at Wayne County High School in Jesup. Originally from Fort Payne, Ala., and attended Jacksonville State University, I intended to work for a year or two at Wayne County and then go back to Alabama. It did not take long to realize how competitive and talented high school football was in Georgia. I coached for 27 years as an assistant football, basketball or baseball coach, head football coach and/or athletic director. Working with young athletes and other coaches has built a lifetime of relationships that are strong to this day. Sports competition requires young people to put the team before themselves and deal with real life issues such as how to deal with success, failure, getting along with others, setting and attaining goals and self-discipline."
2. What does the GACA do? And why do you enjoy that work? "The Georgia Athletic Coaches Association serves coaches of all sports with two million dollars of liability insurance on the field, in the classroom and at camps. We recognize coaching milestones, region and state championships and recognize coaches with the opportunity to coach in our all-star games. We honor coaches in all sports at the GACA Hall of Fame in Dalton. I have always enjoyed the fellowship among Georgia high school coaches, and now as part of the leadership of the GACA I enjoy facilitating opportunities for coaches to get together and further develop professional and personal relationships."
3. What are the Nike clinics? "I have been the Atlanta Clinic director for the Nike Coach of the Year Clinic for almost 10 years now. I enjoy the same opportunities to provide a platform where football coaches can learn and get together to collaborate about this great profession, which is Georgia high school football. The Nike Clinic Atlanta has always provided great speaker lineups from college and high school, and this year is no different with speakers to include head coaches from West Virginia, Tulane, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Michigan State.
4. Do you have a favorite speaker over the years? Which one resonated with you the most, and why? "Over the years, I have had the opportunity to meet and listen to high-profile coaches like Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Dabo Swinney, Dan Mullen, Bill O'Brien and many more, and there are a few things that they have in common. First, they are just coaches, teaching kids how to be young men and trying to win some games. That is a simplistic outlook on a diverse group, but it is not unlike high school coaches in Georgia that put their players first and try to win a few games along the way while juggling all those other duties of father figure, psychologist, counselor and mentor. Second, they have a tremendous respect for high school football coaches in Georgia. They often comment on how talented and well-coached Georgia high school football players are and how important it is to recruit Georgia successfully."
Produced by Georgia High School Football Daily, a free e-mail newsletter. To join the mailing list, click here.
About the Author
