Ty Davis’ Road to Coaching
3 Minute read
By Andrea Aruino
UPBasketball’s newest Player Development coach, Ty Davis, built his career on a relentless commitment to improvement making fit to be a leader and a coach. That mindset led to League MVP and First-Team All-State honors at Tara High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and eventually opened the door to competing at the collegiate and professional levels. Now, he brings that same approach into the gym, helping athletes elevate their game through intentional training.
After graduating high school in 2014, he played two seasons at the College of Marin before transferring to a Division II program at the California State University Stanislaus during the 2017-2018 season. It did not take much time for him to display his talent. In his first season with the Warriors, he led the team with 132 assists and second in steals finishing with 45 for the season. He finished his career at Stanislaus with 994 points, 389 assists, and 131 steals.
After college, Davis did not hesitate to keep the momentum going which landed him on a Croatian team called KK Dubrovnik the HT Premier League where he played in Europe for one season. Unfortunately after one year, Davis’ career was cut short when he tore his achilles, but he refused to let it define him and continued to push forward which led him back to UPBasketball. He was one of Coach Packie Turner’s first clients when he first moved to California in 2017, and from then on they built a strong relationship that has kept them in close contact giving him the opportunity to coach alongside Coach Packie.
“I actually trained with [Coach] Packie my freshman year of college,” Davis said. “I helped him do a few pro workouts early on so me and him had a connection from back then and he’s always been a great guy and an elite trainer.”
Davis is constantly evolving in how he teaches the game, bringing the same mindset he had as a player into every session. In the gym, he’s focused on clear communication, patience, and meeting athletes where they are, especially those still learning the fundamentals. He understands that development takes time and he is committed to creating an environment where players can build confidence, stay engaged, and improve with purpose. That commitment is fueled not only by his passion for the game, but also by his desire to keep learning and growing alongside the athletes he coaches.
“I did not see myself [coaching] when I was in the heat of my career, but when things slowed down and I got my first client, it made me really want to help players get better. From there I kept going, I got joy from watching players get better from working with me and I enjoy teaching the little nuances of the game. I’ve seen people consistently grind day in and day out which makes me feel really connected to the game and makes it easy to coach,” Davis said.
Davis’ current goal is to be as open with his players as possible. Letting them know when they are doing well or when there is something they need to fix. His focus as a coach is centered on what each athlete takes away from a session whether that’s building confidence, sharpening a specific skill, or learning the rules of the game. For Davis, every session is about growth that lasts beyond the gym. By bringing in his experience working with professionals overseas, he’s able to introduce a higher level of detail and purpose into each workout, helping players train with intention and carry those habits into their own development.
