When it came to finding the next head coach of the Western Illinois football team, Athletic Director Paul A. Bubb did not look far, naming Joe Davis as the new Leatherneck head football coach.
Davis, who most recently served as quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator at Eastern Illinois, becomes the 32nd coach in the WIU program’s 120-year history.
“I am extremely excited and happy to welcome Joe Davis to the Leathernecks,” Bubb said. “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, who has been at Eastern Illinois since 2022, led the Panthers to their first eight-win season since 2013. EIU also reached a No. 24 ranking in the FCS American Football Coaches Association Poll.
This past season, the Panther offense ranked third in the Big South/Ohio Valley Alliance, the conference Western Illinois will join next fall.
In his coaching career, which began in 2003, Davis has produced nine seasons in which his quarterback has passed for over 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns, and four All-American quarterbacks, three of which were invited to National Football League camps, and he helped lead a trio of programs to NCAA postseason berths.
Prior to his time at Eastern Illinois, Davis served as associate head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at the University of Albany from 2018-2021.
As offensive coordinator at Albany, Davis’ unit advanced to the second round of the 2019 playoffs, while earning a No. 15 national ranking. The offense broke 21 school records while improving from the worst-ranked offense in the Colonial Athletic Association to the third best. Davis’ quarterback also broke the school passing records while leading the country in passing touchdowns.
In the collegiate ranks, Davis has coached at Fordham, Northern Iowa, Shippensburg, Wheaton, North Park and Wayne State.
He also coached and played professionally for the Vienna Rangers American Football Club in Vienna, Austria, as well as played in the Arena Football League for three seasons.
Davis begins his first spring camp as head Leatherneck coach in March. Western Illinois opens the 2024 season at Northern Illinois. A press conference to announce the hiring of Coach Davis is scheduled for later this week.
***Courtesy of Western Illinois University***
