Western Illinois hires Eastern Illinois offensive coordinator as next head coach

Joe Davis, shown here as Eastern Illinois offensive coordinator, is the next head coach at Western Illinois, according to an official WIU release early Sunday evening. (Photo by Barry Bottino, PrairieStatePigskin.com)

By Dan Verdun

Western Illinois is hiring Eastern Illinois offensive coordinator Joe Davis as the Leathernecks’ next head coach, according to an official WIU release early Sunday night.

Davis is WIU’s choice to replace Myers Hendrickson, who was fired Nov. 19. Davis will become the 32nd head coach in Western Illinois history.

A press conference to officially introduce Davis is scheduled for later this week, according to the release.

“I am extremely excited and happy to welcome Joe Davis to the Leathernecks,” WIU athletic director Paul A. Bubb said in the statement. “Joe clearly met the expectations that we have for our head coach. He has the experience in FCS football, has developed numerous outstanding FCS players, and has been part of teams that won championships. I believe his teams will play an exciting offensive style of football with an aggressive defense that will return Leatherneck football to a competitive and championship caliber program.”

Davis spent the last two seasons as EIU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Panthers head coach Chris Wilkerson.

Davis was originally hired by Adam Cushing, Wilkerson’s EIU predecessor, in December 2021. Cushing resigned soon afterward to accept an assistant coaching position at FBS Duke University.

This fall, Davis led an EIU offense that produced six All-Ohio Valley Conference selections, including running back M.J. Flowers, the OVC Offensive Freshman of the Year and the runner-up finisher for the Jerry Rice Award, the national FCS Freshman of the Year honor.

Flowers, receiver Eli Mirza and lineman Chad Strickland were all first team picks.

Quarterback Pierce Holley, a transfer from Georgetown University, and receiver Justin Thomas, a transfer from Division III Albion College, landed on the All-OVC second team along with lineman Sebastian Pares.

The Oct. 12 meeting between EIU and WIU at Macomb’s Hanson Field will prove to be quite interesting.

WIU just completed its final season in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and is joining the Big South-OVC Association for football in 2024. EIU is a member of that league.

The two rivals have met 67 times, the last time coming in 2016 as non-conference opponents.

WIU and EIU have not met as conference foes since 1995 when both were members of the Gateway Athletic Conference, which has since evolved into the Missouri Valley.

WIU holds a 42-21-4 series lead.

Experienced coach with past success

According to his EIU bio, Davis began his coaching career with the Vienna Rangers in Austria while playing professionally in 2003.

A native of Brighton, Mich., Davis has made a number of stops along his coaching career. Davis has coached at all three NCAA division levels, including time at Division II Wayne State (2003-05) and Shippensburg University (2013-14) as well as Division III North Park (2006-08) and Wheaton College (2009-12).

Davis coached at FCS Northern Iowa, an MVFC member, in 2015.

That season, UNI reached the FCS playoff quarterfinals and received a No. 6 national ranking.

Davis was the UNI offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The Panthers set program records for rushing yards and produced the MVFC Newcomer of the Year in dual-threat quarterback Aaron Bailey under his guidance.

Davis left Northern Iowa to join the Fordham University staff as passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the next two seasons (2016-17).

Davis spent the next four seasons as associate head coach/offensive coordinator at UAlbany (2018-21).

In 2019, Davis helped coach UAlbany to the FCS playoffs. Davis coached quarterback Jeff Undercuffler, the Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year. Undercuffler, that season’s runner-up for the Jerry Rice Award, led the CAA in passing yards and a record 41 touchdown passes.

Davis played football at Division III Adrian (Mich.) College, where he was a two-time team captain as quarterback. Davis set eight school records and later played three seasons in the National Indoor Football League and Arena Football League.

He and his wife, Whitney, have two daughters.

Western dismissed Hendrickson after two seasons and an 0-22 record. The Leathernecks enter the 2024 season on a 24-game losing streak, the longest in school history.

Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.

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