Former Mississippi Valley State head football coach and athletic director Davis Weathersby has been selected to receive the 2012 SWAC Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the Southwestern Athletic Conference athletic heritage.
The award will be presented during the SWAC’s annual Legends Reception Roast on Dec. 7 in Birmingham. The event will take place at 6 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel, 808 South 20th Street.
Tickets for the event are $60 and eight-seat tables are $480.
Weathersby, a Liberty, Miss. native, served as head coach at MVSU from 1970-77 and worked as athletic director from 1972-1978. He finished his MVSU career with a 33-45 record and was named SWAC Co-Coach of the Year in 1975 after leading the Delta Devils to a 6-4 (3-3 SWAC) record. He was also named SWAC Coach of the Year by the National Black Sports Foundation.
Weathersby, who currently resides in Greenville, Miss., earned his bachelor’s degree in 1955 from Alcorn A&M College (now Alcorn State University) before getting a master’s degree in Physical Education from Indiana University in 1964.
At Alcorn, he lettered in football and track and field. He was co-captain of the Braves football team in 1954 and received awards for his efforts in track and field.
Before joining MVSU in 1970, Weathersby worked in several capacities at Coleman High School in Greenville. He served as head football coach, girls track and field coach, athletic director and physical education instructor. From 1956-70 at Coleman, Weathersby had a 112-26-6 record and claimed four Big 8 championships.
During his 22-year tenure as a coach on the high school and collegiate level, Weathersby coached a host of student-athletes who would eventually play professionally including George Scott (Boston Red Sox), Theodore Washington (Houston Oilers), Parnell Dickinson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Russell Porter (Dallas Cowboys) and William Richardson (Baltimore Colts).
Weathersby has also been the recipient of numerous other awards including the SWAC Dedicated Service Award (1982), Alcorn State University Hall of Honors (1992), 100 Black Men of the Mississippi Delta MLK Achievement Award (1995), the National Football Foundation General Bob Neylend Achievement Award (1996) and the Alcornite of the Year Award (1996).
– Courtesy: MVSU Sports Information
