Dominique Davenport is in his third season as Running Backs Coach and Co-Special Teams Coordinator at Gardner-Webb, in the same conference where he initially made his mark on college football. His work with the Gardner-Webb offense so far has been impressive. Running back Narii Gaither is in contention for All-America honors in 2022 and has earned back-to-back Big South rushing titles. Gardner-Webb’s offense had its best scoring output since 2005 last season and is poised for another jump in 2022. The GWU special teams have also been strong under Davenport’s watch.
Davenport spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons coaching running backs at Tennessee Tech. He helped the Golden Eagles to one of the biggest turnarounds nationally in the FCS in 2019 and one of the top offensive seasons in program history.
Davenport helped oversee a rushing attack that accounted for 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns in his second season at Tech, with three different ball carriers eclipsing the 400-yard mark.
Prior to joining the offensive staff in Cookeville, Tenn., Davenport worked as cornerbacks coach in the Southern Conference with the Mercer Bears from 2012-2017. The Bears, under head coach Bobby Lamb, posted a 10-2 record in 2013 – the program’s first season in the modern era. That marked an NCAA record for wins in an inaugural season.
During his time in Macon, Ga., Davenport helped develop standouts Eric Jackson (2016 SoCon All-Freshman Team), Stephen Houzah (2015 SoCon All-Freshman Team) and Alex Avant (2014 second-team All-SoCon).
Davenport spent one season coaching in the high school ranks, getting his start at First Coast (Fla.) High in Jacksonville as an assistant coach. He helped the squad to a Florida Class 7A runner up finish, a 13-1 record and coached defensive backs that wound up at Florida State, Rutgers, South Florida, UCF and Elon.
The former Coastal Carolina standout is no stranger to the Big South Conference. During his time as a student-athlete with the Chanticleers from 2006-2010, Davenport started at safety for three seasons and was a first-team All-Big South choice in his final season. Davenport was a member of two Big South Conference championship teams (2006, 2010) and helped the Chanticleers to their first two FCS playoff appearances in those seasons under head coach David Bennett.
He set the Chants’ single-game tackles mark with 20 hits vs. Colgate in 2008 and wrapped up his career ranked third on the program’s all-time tackles list and fifth in career interceptions. A highlight came in his final season against Gardner-Webb, when he picked off a pass early in the fourth quarter in Spangler Stadium and returned it 28 yards to tie a close game at 17-17. Coastal Carolina went on to win that game, 30-27, in overtime to secure the Big South’s first automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.
Davenport, his wife Rachel Ann and their three children, Jude, Slade and Boone reside in Shelby, N.C.
