Kery Davis

"Kery Davis serves as Vice President and Director of Athletics at Howard University, where he has led one of the most successful and transformative periods in the history of Bison Athletics. Since assuming leadership in 2015, Davis has shepherded a renaissance of Howard Athletics, elevating the department’s competitive excellence, academic achievement, facilities, national profile, and financial strength.

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Under Davis’ leadership, Howard has captured more than 40 regular season and conference tournament championships, establishing itself as one of the premier athletic programs among Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The 2025-26 academic year marked the most successful season in department history as the Bison won 10 conference championships across two different conferences—the most conference titles ever won by an HBCU in a single season. Those championships included Women’s Cross Country, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving, Women’s Indoor Track & Field, Women’s Outdoor Track & Field, Men’s and Women’s Golf, and Softball.

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The department’s competitive success has also been highlighted by numerous individual accomplishments, including multiple Conference Players of the Year, university record holders, and First and Second Team All-Americans, further cementing Howard’s emergence on the national collegiate athletics landscape.

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Davis has been equally committed to ensuring that success in competition is matched by excellence in the classroom. During the record-setting 2025-26 academic year, Howard student-athletes posted a department-wide GPA of 3.34, with every varsity team earning at least a 3.0 GPA. The department also received the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) award for the conference’s highest graduation rate, achieving an outstanding 84 percent Graduation Success Rate.

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A visionary leader, Davis has overseen significant investments in Howard Athletics’ infrastructure, including the opening of a state-of-the-art athletic practice facility, providing Howard student-athletes with premier resources to train and compete at the highest level.

Recognizing the importance of innovation and strategic partnerships, Davis has negotiated several landmark corporate agreements that have elevated the Howard Athletics brand nationally. Among them is a groundbreaking partnership with Jordan Brand, widely regarded as one of the premier apparel sponsorships in collegiate athletics. He also spearheaded a historic collaboration with SC30 Inc. and NBA superstar Stephen Curry to launch Howard’s Division I men’s and women’s golf programs—the first new Division I golf program established in more than 30 years.

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Davis’ leadership has earned widespread national recognition. In 2024, he was named the NCAA (FCS) Athletic Director of the Year, honoring his commitment to excellence, innovation, and student-athlete success. Since 2020, he has also served on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee, helping shape the future of Division I men’s basketball at the national level.

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Before joining Howard University, Davis spent 17 years with HBO, serving as Senior Vice President of HBO Sports. There, he oversaw the network’s acclaimed sports programming, helping lead multiple Emmy Award-winning productions while managing many of the organization’s most significant sports properties and business initiatives.

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Davis earned his Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College and his Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School.

He and his wife, Samantha, are the proud parents of four children."