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Converse University

The Official Website of Converse University Valkyries Athletics
Samantha Davidson

Samantha Davidson

Davidson enters her fourth season with the Converse women's basketball team for the 2024-25 season.

Davidson took the Converse women's basketball team to new heights during her third season at the helm. She coached the team to 14 victories that season, the most in the program's NCAA-Era, dating back to 2002. Of those wins, five were against Conference Carolinas Northwest regional opponents, leading to the Valkyries to being co-champions of the division. It was the first title of any kind of the program in the NCAA-Era. Under Davidson's direction, Converse women's basketball also had its first-ever postseason victory, a 66-41 win over King on March 3, 2024.

Following that successful season, one Valkyrie earned all-conference honors, redshirt senior Sydney Wilson, the first all-conference honoree of Davidson's tenure in the Hub City. Wilson also earned CSC Academic All-District Honors, the second time a player has received that honor during Davidson.

Davidson joined Converse from Schreiner University, where she has coached for the last four years. At Schreiner, Davidson coached six student-athletes who received all-conference honors while competing in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. Accolades include four second team, four third team, one honorable mention, and one newcomer of the year award. Additionally, 14 student-athletes were named to the All-SCAC Academic Honor Roll.   

Davidson inherited a Schreiner team that went 11-16 overall and 8-6 in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play, finishing fourth in the league during the regular season and advancing to the SCAC Tournament semifinals. During the 2020-21 season, the team finished with an overall record of 7-4, placing the Mountaineers fourth in the conference. The team led the conference in defensive field goal percentage and offensive rebounding and finished in the top three in all defensive categories.

Davidson was a four-year standout player for former Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference member Birmingham Southern and was at Rhodes College for two seasons under head coach Matt Dean before coming to Schreiner. During her tenure at Rhodes, Davidson coached five All-SAA players. The team finished in the league's top three in all defensive categories and also finished second in the league in three-point shooting. She was also responsible for two very strong recruiting classes for the Lynx.

Prior to her time at Rhodes, Davidson served as assistant girl's basketball coach for Webb School (TN) and helped the team win a state title in her one year in the position. Prior to that, she served under Hall-of-Fame head coach Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee for one year. While on the Lady Vols staff, she worked with current UT head coach Holly Warlick.

At BSC, Davidson was a three-year starter and four year player who ended her career in the program's top five in career assists and the top-10 in 3-pointers made, 3-point shooting percentage and free throw percentage.