Navy Hires Barry Davis as Assistant Coach

In an offseason full of surprising coaching moves, the US Naval Academy threw their hat into the ring as they shocked the wrestling world by bringing back the legendary Barry Davis as an assistant coach. 

Davis spent 25 years as the head coach at the University of Wisconsin - a tenure that ended in 2018. Since then, Davis has not had a position coaching at the collegiate level. 

While at Wisconsin, Davis amassed a 227-167-11 dual record and oversaw a squad that captured an NCAA team trophy in 2010, finishing fourth in the nation. That placement tied the highest in school history. Individually, Davis coached three national champions, 26 All-Americans, and eight Big Ten champions. The title won by Andrew Howe in 2010 (165 lbs) remains the most recent by a Badger wrestler. 

As a competitor, Davis was a three-time NCAA champion, four-time All-American, and four-time Big Ten champion. His career mark, wrestling for the University of Iowa, was 162-9-1. 

In the middle of his college career, Davis took an Olympic redshirt to prep for the 1984 Summer Olympics, He ended up coming away with a silver medal at 57 kg. Davis also medaled at the two World Championships that followed, claiming a bronze in 1985 and a silver in 1986. 

The Naval Academy produced the first All-American of the Cary Kolat-era in March as David Key finished eighth in the 184 lb weight class. The Navy team finished sixth in the EIWA with 79.5 points and is expected to return three starters with past NCAA experience for the 2024-25 season.