Former Iowa Fan Favorite Molly Davis Lands New Coaching Role And Hawkeye Fans Are Loving What It Means for Her Future
For Iowa women’s basketball fans, the name Molly Davis still brings back memories of grit, leadership, and the kind of toughness that rarely shows up fully in a box score. Now, the former Hawkeye guard is taking another major step in her basketball journey and it could be the beginning of something much bigger.
Davis has officially been introduced as a new assistant coach for Eastern Kentucky University, giving one of Iowa’s most beloved recent players her first major Division I coaching opportunity outside the state of Iowa. The move comes after Davis spent the last two seasons developing her coaching résumé at the University of Evansville, where she worked as both a graduate assistant and assistant coach.
The announcement instantly caught the attention of Iowa fans who followed Davis throughout her unforgettable college career, especially during the Hawkeyes’ back-to-back runs to the national championship game alongside Caitlin Clark.
And honestly, this move feels like it was only a matter of time.
Molly Davis Begins a New Chapter After Iowa Stardom
Eastern Kentucky, which competes in the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN), is coming off one of its strongest seasons in recent program history. The Colonels finished the 2025-26 season with a 25-9 overall record and went 15-3 in conference play, capturing the ASUN regular-season championship before earning a trip to the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT).
That success made the program an attractive destination for rising coaching talent, and head coach Greg Todd made it clear why Davis stood out immediately.
“Molly has been part of championship-level culture throughout her career,” Todd said. “Playing in two national championship games alongside Caitlin Clark gave her experience very few young coaches can bring to a program. She understands the elite preparation, player development, toughness and commitment it takes to compete for championships.”
That quote alone says a lot about how Davis is already viewed in coaching circles.
She’s not being hired simply because she played at Iowa. She’s being hired because she understands what winning at the highest level actually looks like on a daily basis.
And for players entering the Eastern Kentucky program, that experience matters.
Iowa Fans Remember the Heart Molly Davis Brought Every Night
During her time in Iowa City, Davis never needed to score 30 points to impact a game. Her value showed up in countless other ways — controlling tempo, calming the offense during tense moments, hitting timely shots, diving for loose balls, and bringing relentless energy every single night.
After transferring from Central Michigan, Davis quickly became one of the most trusted veterans on Lisa Bluder’s roster. She played point guard for the Hawkeyes for two seasons and helped guide Iowa through one of the greatest eras in program history.
In the 2023-24 season, Davis averaged:
- 5.9 points per game
- 3.0 assists per game
- 2.5 rebounds per game
But the efficiency numbers tell the deeper story.
She shot:
- 53.9% from the field
- 40.7% from three-point range
- 85.7% from the free-throw line
Those are elite percentages for any guard, especially one tasked with facilitating the offense and defending opposing backcourts night after night.
Even more impressive was the way Davis embraced her role beside superstar Caitlin Clark. Plenty of players struggle when sharing the floor with a generational talent because touches become limited and media attention shifts elsewhere. Davis never appeared bothered by that reality.
Instead, she leaned into the dirty work.
She defended aggressively, moved the ball quickly, and gave Iowa another steady playmaker when defenses overloaded on Clark.
That selflessness earned enormous respect from teammates and fans alike.
The Injury That Changed Iowa’s Final Run
One reason Davis remains such an emotional figure for Hawkeye fans is because of the injury that interrupted her final season.
Late in the 2023-24 campaign, Davis suffered a devastating knee injury that sidelined her during Iowa’s NCAA Tournament run. Even though the Hawkeyes continued advancing, many fans believed the team lost an important emotional leader and stabilizing presence in the backcourt.
You could see it during games.
Clark still delivered historic performances. Hannah Stuelke elevated her game. Kate Martin battled through every possession. But Davis’ absence changed the chemistry and rhythm of the rotation.
Still, she stayed engaged throughout the tournament, supporting teammates from the bench and remaining visibly connected to the group during Iowa’s second straight trip to the national title game.
That resilience only strengthened the admiration fans already had for her.
Why This Coaching Move Makes Perfect Sense
If you watched Davis closely at Iowa, the coaching transition almost felt inevitable.
She constantly communicated on the floor. She organized teammates during defensive possessions. She anticipated plays before they happened. And perhaps most importantly, younger players naturally gravitated toward her leadership style.
Not every great player becomes a great coach.
But some players carry themselves in ways that make you notice immediately: they think the game differently.
Davis fits that category.
At Evansville, she quietly began learning the behind-the-scenes side of coaching player development sessions, scouting reports, recruiting preparation, practice planning, film breakdowns, and relationship building.
Now she gets a larger platform at Eastern Kentucky, where expectations are already rising after a championship-caliber season.
And she’s joining a program that clearly values culture.
That matters because Davis built her reputation on culture long before she ever became a coach.
Eastern Kentucky May Have Just Pulled Off a Sneaky Important Hire
Sometimes assistant coaching hires fly under the radar nationally. This one probably shouldn’t.
Programs across women’s college basketball are aggressively searching for young coaches who can connect with modern athletes while also understanding elite-level basketball standards.
Davis checks both boxes.
She played during one of the most visible eras in women’s basketball history. She understands pressure. She understands media attention. She understands NCAA Tournament expectations. And she experienced the intensity of competing on the sport’s biggest stage with millions watching.
That perspective is difficult to teach.
It also gives Eastern Kentucky a coach players may instantly relate to.
Recruits notice things like this too.
Having someone on staff who played beside Caitlin Clark and helped Iowa reach consecutive national championship games becomes a legitimate recruiting asset.
Young guards especially may view Davis as someone who truly understands player development at a high level.
Iowa Women’s Basketball Continues Producing Influential Names
Davis’ coaching move is also another reminder of how much Iowa women’s basketball has grown nationally over the past several years.
The Hawkeyes are no longer just producing stars on the court. They’re producing influential basketball personalities everywhere.
Caitlin Clark transformed the visibility of the sport. Kate Martin recently signed with a new WNBA team. Hannah Stuelke continues emerging as one of the faces of Iowa athletics after being named the University of Iowa Women’s Athlete of the Year. Multiple Hawkeyes are earning USA Basketball opportunities.
And now Davis is beginning what could become a long coaching career.
That pipeline speaks volumes about the culture Iowa built during the Lisa Bluder era.
Players didn’t just leave with highlights and trophies. They left with basketball credibility that programs around the country respect.
Hawkeye Fans Already Know One Thing
Molly Davis is going to bring energy everywhere she goes.
That was obvious during her playing days.
Whether she was celebrating a teammate’s three-pointer, directing traffic on offense, or fighting through physical defensive possessions, Davis consistently played with emotion and purpose.
Those traits usually translate extremely well into coaching.
And while this may only be her latest step, it probably won’t be the last.
Because if there’s one thing Iowa fans learned during her time in black and gold, it’s this:
Betting against Molly Davis has never been a smart idea.
