After Central Methodist defeated Culver-Stockton on Saturday, Feb. 22, the Eagles celebrated a conference championship on the court at Puckett Field House.

And then they left.

Players and fans went home not knowing that the win was number 700 for head coach Mike Davis.

Even Davis had no idea that the milestone was approaching.

“I didn’t know,” he said. “It really hadn’t crossed my mind. We just needed another win.”

Assistant coach Remy Lory did know that number 700 was approaching, but he also knew that Davis would not enjoy the attention on himself during the Eagles’ senior night.

So on Wednesday, after a win over Baker,  Davis was recognized for win 701.

“It was actually one of the great accomplishments for us,” said senior All-American guard Mercedes Jefflo.

“I know he’s had this coaching job for a long time and just to know that our team was a part of that win was just the greatest thing.”

Davis said the losses tend to stick with him more than the wins. He can’t remember the first win, but he remembers the first loss. More important than either were the relationships.   

“If you want to talk about what I remember, it’s just so many great kids that have played with you, so many assistant coaches who have been part of it,” Davis said.

“Families who you’ve met recruiting a young lady, and they’re part of your family now. It’s more than just basketball.”

Assistant coach Shavonda Price says that approach is what makes Davis special.

“I’ve had opportunities to play under a lot of people and none like coach Davis,” she said. “It’s more than basketball… it’s him off the court. I think I learn more from him there than I do on the court.”

“To be under someone’s wing with that many wins, that much experience, that much knowledge about the game, it’s not something that you can find everywhere.”

Lory contacted past players and coaches and put together a video of congratulatory messages that were sent in.

“That was the best part of it, to see them,” Davis said. “Some of them had played a year ago, some of them hadn’t played for me in 20 years. So you got to see the whole gamut and that was enjoyable to me.”

This season will be the fourth NAIA national tournament appearance for Central Methodist in five years. The Eagles made four appearances in a row during the first stint at CMU for Davis, including a final four run in 1999.

Whatever happens in the conference or national tournament, the current Eagle team will go into the CMU history books as the team with the fewest losses and the highest winning percentage.

Senior grad transfer Veronica Preciado came to Central Methodist after completing her degree at the University of San Francisco.

“The thing I really like about him and his style is that he just lets you play,” Preciado said. “A lot of the players he has here, that’s exactly how we like to play and how we grew up playing. He lets us play freely, but with a few rules.”

Sometimes his communication isn’t always clear to the players, according to Jefflo.

“He has his own dictionary of words,” she said. “He has a lot of words that we’re like, ‘what are you talking about, what does that mean?’ He calls it his New Franklin lingo.”

They might not always understand him, but Davis understands how to give his players the freedom to play with joy, while maintaining a level of discipline. It’s the same way with the coaching staff, Lory explained.

“It’s a relaxed atmosphere, but when we’re on the court, it’s time to get to work,” he said.

“That’s what we love about it so much. We can go in that office and crack jokes and laugh and then… it’s practice time, let’s get it going. I think that’s what makes it special and that’s the same way we coach our girls.”

Davis, who was inducted into the Missouri Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2013, is second among active NAIA Division I coaches on the all-time victories list with a career record of 701-321.

All of those victories have come coaching in Central Missouri. He was 260-157 at Central Methodist from ’87 to ’00, 316-127 in 13 seasons at Columbia, and 125-37 in his current stretch back in Fayette.

“It’s been a unique situation for myself and my family,” Davis said. “I’ve been able to stay close to family and still do what I enjoy as far as coaching. To be here once, go to Columbia and then come back, that’s a pretty unique situation, so sometimes things just fall in place.”

A special season is falling into place in Fayette right now. The Eagles’ varsity roster has four players from California, three from New York and New Jersey. Abby Naylor came from Salisbury, Gloria Mulumba joined the Eagles from Finland.

They all came to Central Methodist to have fun and win. They’ve done plenty of both and Preciado says that Davis is a big reason why.

“He makes the team come together, you could say,” she said.

“We are all from the east coast, west coast, Midwest, but the same style of play makes it all come together. I just feel like he’s the reason for our success this year.”