Tributes pour in for South Mecklenburg coach Herb Davis, who died Thursday at 73
Longtime South Mecklenburg boys basketball coach Herb Davis died Thursday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 73.
Davis worked at South Mecklenburg from 1977-2001. He taught history, coached basketball and was athletic director.
Davis’ brother, Walter, was a standout at North Carolina who became a first round NBA draft pick of the Denver Nuggets in 1997 and went onto become NBA Rookie of the year.
Herb Davis’ 1992-93 basketball team at South Mecklenburg won its first conference championship in 13 years and reached the state final for the first time since 1976. The Sabres were five seconds away from winning the state championship, led by 6-foot-8 center Daymond Forney. But future Duke star Jeff Capel made a layup with five seconds left to lift his South View High team to the title.
South Mecklenburg finished 24-5 in the 92-93 season, one that began with five new starters. Davis was named Charlotte Observer Mecklenburg County coach of the year.
“He was my athletic director during some of the time I was coaching there,” said Troy Gaston, who built a dominant girls basketball at South from 1993-2008. “Herb is a legend at South Mecklenburg, as a player and a coach. He played for (legendary Sabres coach) Dave Price and was able to become head coach of the basketball program and lead his team to the state final. Herb was just an outstanding guy and he truly will be missed.”
▪ Viewing and visitation will be 5-6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, at Grier Funeral Home, 115 John McCarroll Ave, Charlotte, NC, 28216. A grave side service will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. at York Road Memorial, 5150 South Tryon St., Charlotte, NC, 28217.
▪ There were many tributes from members of the community that came in via social media.
A sampling
This story was originally published February 11, 2021 at 2:32 PM.
