Midstate college basketball coaches entrenched

College basketball coaches bounce from one job to the next so frequently these days that it's hard to keep up. A mind-boggling 40 NCAA Division I teams have undergone coaching changes since last season.

But not all programs in Tennessee have seen so much turnover. The coaches at four schools in the Midstate —  Kevin Stallings (Vanderbilt), Rick Byrd (Belmont), Kermit Davis (Middle Tennessee State) and Dave Loos (Austin Peay) — have bucked the trend.

They have been in their current positions for a total of 83 years and accumulated 1,563 wins. They sat down recently with The Tennessean to talk about what has led to their unusual longevity.

Have you had opportunities to go elsewhere? And if so, how close have you come to leaving?

BYRD: “I’ve probably not had as many opportunities as most people perceive that I’ve had. You can define opportunity in different ways. I have had conversations with people. I’ve had inquiries, but it’s very rare that I’ve sat down for a serious interview. You’ll do that because you want to know how you really feel, and you don’t really know how you feel until the opportunity is there. Every time that it’s gotten close to that I just felt like I was in a good place at Belmont.”

STALLINGS: “I’ve had opportunities to go elsewhere and I really can’t say how close I came to leaving because I didn’t leave. So apparently, not that close.”

What is it about your position that has kept you there so long?

BYRD: “Belmont University allows me to recruit the kind of young men that I enjoy coaching. So it is just a fit for me personally and I hope for the school.”

DAVIS: “It's the people I’ve worked for. I mean, how many coaches can say they’ve had just one president, and a dynamic president like Dr. (Sidney) McPhee? I’ve also only had two athletics directors — coach (Boots) Donnelly, who hired me, and Chris Massaro — and both have been very, very supportive.”

What is it about the Middle Tennessee area that you and your family like so well?

DAVIS: “We feel like we’ve been spoiled because of our quality of life in Murfreesboro. My daughter, Claire, got a great education in the public schools there, and I have a special needs daughter (Ally), who is 27 that has down's (syndrome) and in Murfreesboro I am Ally’s dad. I’m not the coach. That city has just put its arms around Ally and our family and made it so special for her and for us.”

LOOS: “This was an area that I had only visited when we played when I was at Christian Brothers, whether it was at Lipscomb or Belmont or Vanderbilt. Middle Tennessee was an area where I’d never spent much time in, but it’s an area that I’ve learned to love. I think the people here are the greatest asset.”

Why is it such a rarity for a coach to remain at one school as long as you have?

DAVIS: “Obviously, we’ve won (four conference titles in the last five years) and that’s big. But what I call staying power is that coaches have got to do all of the other things off the court. Our family is engulfed in charity work in Murfreesboro, we’re engulfed on campus. We’re a part of the fabric of the community and I think people there appreciate that.”

STALLINGS: “Because generally when you’re at a place a long time in this job you go through highs and lows. The reason why it’s so rare is because when you go through the lows administrations fire you. I’m fortunate because I have a tolerant and an understanding administration. They don’t get itchy the first time you have a bad season or something goes wrong off the court. For so many athletic directors, so many college presidents and chancellors, it’s ‘What have you done for me right now?’ I’m just fortunate that our people have a much better picture view than that.”

Midstate men's college basketball capsules

Is there a particular goal left that you would like to accomplish?

BYRD: “What would be obvious about that question? It’s easy to answer because certainly we would like to win games in the NCAA Tournament. But I would rather be 0-7 in the NCAA Tournament (which Belmont is), than 2-1, meaning we only went one time and we won two games and then we lost. I think the consistency makes a stronger statement about your program than a one-year performance. Florida Gulf Coast has been there one time — made a splash, it was great for their school, that guy (Andy Enfield) is coaching at Southern Cal now. But I still would rather have numerous trips and be 0-for, than to get a win.”

DAVIS: “We want to make some deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully, in this league we’re now in (Conference USA), we’re going to be able to get some multiple bids, so we think we have that in us.”

How much longer do you see yourself coaching and do you plan to retire where you are?

BYRD: “This is where I plan to retire. My contract runs for three more years and I’ll be 65 and I’ll see how I feel then. Do I think about it? Yes, a lot. But do I know how I’m going to feel then, no I don’t?”

DAVIS: “I still have great energy and I enjoy it. I have a great staff and we think we’re going to have some good teams in the future. Hopefully, they’ll keep me around. I hope to be there for a long time and until I retire.”

LOOS: “I plan on coaching probably the rest of my life. If it’s not on the college level or another level, I’ve got nine grandkids who all play something. So, probably much to their dismay, I’m going to be coaching for a long time.”

STALLINGS: “I hope to retire where I am and I hope to never be forced into retirement. I’ve thought a lot about how much longer I will coach and I don’t really see an end in sight. I don’t want to be doing this past an age to where I can really give these guys what they deserve, and that’s a real intense, committed effort on a daily basis. I have plenty of energy right now; probably more fire than I need, more fire than is good for me. I used to say it would be at least until my daughter (Jordyn, 15) graduated from high school, but I think it’ll be quite a bit longer than that now.”

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 and on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.

THE COACH BREAKDOWN

• Rick Byrd, 62, Belmont, 30th season, 619-312 record
• Dave Loos, 68, Austin Peay, 25th season, 371-333 record
• Kevn Stallings, 55, Vanderbilt, 17th season, 322-205 record
• Kermit Davis, 55, MTSU, 14th season, 251-165 record