After two years with Tribe Athletics and reaching several milestones faster than any predecessor, William & Mary has awarded head women’s basketball coach Erin Dickerson Davis a new contract that extends to 2029.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled that Erin agreed to this contract extension. She embraces and exemplifies the core values of Tribe Athletics and our university,” said Brian D. Mann, Director of Athletics. “Her track record of success and her dedication to our student-athletes are outstanding and being able to reward a high performing coach shows our commitment to the program, our student-athletes, alumni and fans. Five more years of Coach E in Green & Gold is great for Women’s Basketball!”
As head coach, Davis has piloted the program to 12 CAA wins (a program record), in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history. She is the Tribe’s fastest head coach to 20 conference wins and to 30 career wins in 95 years, as well as coaching her team in 2022-23 to the most wins (18) for a first-year head coach in program history. The Tribe advanced to the CAA Semifinals for the sixth time in program history in 2023. In 2023-24, the Tribe had its best CAA start in program history, won the FIU Thanksgiving Classic and had six CAA road wins, matching the most in program history. She has mentored four All-CAA selections and a CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
“I am honored and excited by this new contract,” says Davis. “I am so grateful that the words ‘thank you” seem inadequate. Brian Mann believed in me at the start and Peel Hawthorne and Karai Lockley in Tribe Athletics, as well as President Rowe, have helped and encouraged me as my family and I made our home in Williamsburg. We have had amazing support!”
Before her first visit to Williamsburg, Davis didn’t know much about the city. “My husband Thomas told me it was beautiful, and of course he was right! Williamsburg is just wonderful and all of us, including my daughter Lyla, couldn’t be happier,” she said.
Davis’s team will start the season Nov. 4 on the road against Norfolk State, and the coach is already counting the days. “This is my first year of having a veteran group returning, and I’ve never been part of a team that is so close-knit,” she said. “We have a non-conference schedule that will get us battle-tested, but with the amazing support of our fans and with a few things going our way, we have the possibility of a special year!”
Prior to being named the sixth Division I Tribe coach, Davis was the associate head coach at Wake Forest University and assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Georgetown University. She also coached at Towson University, Illinois State, La Salle University and Furman University.
Davis has a master’s degree in sports industry management from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in learning and organizational change from Northwestern University. While at Northwestern, she was a four-year scholarship athlete and letter winner in women’s basketball. She was team captain for all four years.
