A staple in the Madison area for his play on the basketball court and as a coach died.
Chris Davis Sr., who was most recently the coach of Sun Prairie West boys basketball, died according to his son, Chris Davis Jr. The cause of death has not been publicly announced.
Davis had a close relationship with his son, who was a star for the Wolves and led the state in scoring and was the 2024 Wisconsin State Journal/WiscNews boys basketball Player of the Year.
Sun Prairie West coach Chris Davis Sr. stands next to son Chris Davis Jr. in the first half of a game against Verona during the 2022-23 season. Davis Jr. announced his father’s death in a social media post Saturday morning.
“Everybody in the world know if you see me you seeing my pops too. Man I don’t even know if I could be here for long without you Big Dawg,” Davis Jr. wrote on Instagram on Saturday. “God please give me one more conversation, one more basketball game, one more everything I CANT DO THIS WITHOUT YOU DAD. IM HURT. Everybody love you pops.
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“I NEVER THOUGHT ILL WAKE UP AT 6:55am to hear this. Dad please please come back to me I love you with all my heart.”
Davis Sr., a 2007 Madison East graduate and 2014 UW-Whitewater graduate, played for the UW-Whitewater’s NCAA Division III men’s basketball national championship team in 2012 and was named WIAC player of the year and Division III national player of the year, averaging 22.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
Madison East coach Rich Cleveland talks to junior Chris Davis Sr. as Davis and the Purgolders face Middleton on Feb. 10, 2006. Davis spent eight seasons as an assistant at Madison East for Purgolders coach Matt Miota before taking over as head coach at Sun Prairie West ahead of the 2023 season.
“We are shocked and saddened upon hearing of the passing of Chris Davis Sr.,” a statement from the Eastside basketball Twitter account said. “He was a beloved member of East High School, the Eastside community and an integral part of Eastside Basketball. Our prayers, hearts and thoughts go out to his loved ones.”
According to a Wisconsin State Journal profile in 2012, Davis Sr.’s love for his son played a large role in his college choices. He wanted to stay close to his son, so he decided to attend Madison Area Technical College to play basketball after high school. But he was kicked off the team his sophomore year after getting into a fight with a teammate.
Davis Sr., who briefly dropped out of high school during his sophomore year and eventually became a teenage father before returning to East, chose to use his remaining two seasons of college basketball eligibility at UW-Whitewater. His breakout season came in 2011-12, when the 6-foot-6 forward started 29 of 30 games and helped secure the national title.
After his college basketball eligibility ran out at the end of that season, Davis Sr. tried his hand at a return to football. After being named national player of the year by two organizations for his efforts to help the Warhawks’ men’s basketball team secure its first national title since coach Pat Miller’s senior season in 1989, he quickly began work as a tight end with the Warhawks’ three-time defending national champion football team in the spring of 2012 and during offseason conditioning that summer.
It had been six years since Davis Sr. had been on the gridiron, but he had earned first-team All-Big Eight Conference honors at Madison East as a senior in 2006 and was able to secure a spot on the Warhawks’ roster, appearing in 10 games over the 2012 and 2013 football seasons.
Davis Sr. moved into coaching after his playing days, spending eight seasons as an assistant at Madison East for Purgolders coach Matt Miota before taking over as coach at Sun Prairie West for the 2022-23 season, with his son playing a key role as a sophomore. Davis Jr. averaged 40.8 points per game and led Sun Prairie West to its first Big Eight championship in the school’s first year of existence.
When Davis Sr. took over the West program in its first season after the district split into two schools, Sun Prairie athletic director Eric Nee highlighted Davis Sr.’s extensive coaching background.
Davis Sr.
According to Nee, Davis’ first coaching job was in eighth grade working at an after-school program at O’Keefe Middle School in Madison, and he’d spent over a decade in area youth leagues, AAU and high school programs.
Sun Prairie West finished 15-8 in Davis Sr.’s first season as the Wolves’ coach, but he didn’t make it through his second season after he was suspended for 13 days before district administrators decided in January to fire him, despite the team being in a tight race atop the Big Eight standings with Davis Jr. leading the state in scoring at the time with 41.7 points per game.
Sun Prairie West junior Chris Davis Jr. scored 980 points this season, averaging more than 40 points per game.
Davis Jr., who finished his junior season as the state’s top scorer while leading the Wolves to the the WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal round, announced in June that he’s planning to attend DME Academy, which is a prep school, at St. John’s Northwestern Academies in Delafield for his senior season.
Davis Jr. said at the time that he was extremely excited about the decision, explaining the move will help him “prepare to play at the next level,” including competing against top players nationally.
Sun Prairie West’s Chris Davis Jr. looks on against Middleton on Jan. 11 at Sun Prairie West.
Photos: Middleton, Sun Prairie East boys basketball meet in Big Eight Conference tilt
Middleton’s Drew Cooney celebrates Gavin Meister’s go-ahead 3-pointer during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Sun Prairie East’s Trystan Fry drives past Middleton’s Marquise Walker during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Middleton’s Will Garlock shoots over Sun Prairie East’s Gavin Van Wie and Trystan Fry (14) earlier this season.
Sun Prairie East’s Max Raimer drives by Middleton’s Isaiah Oliver during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Middleton’s Will Garlock shoots over Sun Prairie East’s Gavin Van Wie during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Sun Prairie East’s Max Glusick races up court during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Middleton’s Jackson Guerrero tries to drive past Sun Prairie East’s Jayvion Lythjohan during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Sun Prairie East’s Reed Saugstad defends against Middleton’s Mason Roquet during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Middleton’s Avery Houden points to teammate Mason Roquet after his assist on a dunk during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Sun Prairie East’s Curtis Johnson fires a pass to the top of the key during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Middleton’s Riley Kann (25) tries to block a shot by Sun Prairie East’s Van Vogler during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Sun Prairie East’s Jayvion Lythjohan looks for a driving lane during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Middleton’s Gavin Meister drives baseline against Sun Prairie East’s Max Glusick during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Sun Prairie East’s Gavin Van Wie looks to make pass into the post during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Middleton’s Isaiah Oliver races down a loose ball during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Sun Prairie East’s Van Vogler tracks his 3-pointer over Middleton’s Drew Cooney (15) during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Middleton’s Marquise Walker flies towards the basket past Sun Prairie East’s Jayvion Lythjohan (1) during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Sun Prairie East’s Sam Ostrenga is congratulated by teammates Jayvion Lythjohan and Drew Kavanaugh (5) after finishing a layup through contact during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Middleton coach Kevin Bavery looks on during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
Sun Prairie East coach Steve Maselter shouts instructions to his team during Tuesday night’s Big Eight Conference game at Middleton High School.
