SHAWANO, WI- Homecoming weekend means a new class for the Shawano Hall of Fame will be inducted. This year, three athletes join as well as for the first time, a group of coaches.”
NORMAN “WOODY” DAVIS
In 1964, Norman “Woody” Davis accepted a middle school Physical Education teaching position in Shawano. For Woody and his wife, Donna, this would be the beginning of a 57-year legacy of passion and dedication to teaching and promoting athletics in Shawano.
Woody’s passion for athletics was displayed through his commitment to coaching. His first coaching job was as the freshman football coach, a position he held for 25 years. Woody also accepted the freshman boys’ basketball coaching position in 1964. Woody paid his dues and worked his way up the ranks in the boys’ basketball program until he became the varsity head coach in 1978. Woody led a highly successful basketball program for 13 years until retiring from coaching basketball in 1991.
One of his players, Tim Dreier says his coaching stood out.
“Players respected him and he obviously did a great job because we almost always had a winning record.”
He said one thing that stood out was his dedication to allowing kids the opportunities to get better.
“On Saturday’s he would open up Franklin gym and he would teach us things like the West Virginia Drill and things like that, and in the summer he would open up the high school gym most mornings Monday thru Friday.”
The pinnacle of Woody’s 27 years of coaching Shawano basketball was his team’s appearance in the 1982 State Class A Tournament Semifinal. His legacy as a coach was forged in his belief in drilling the fundamentals. The success of his teams was driven by his players doing the little things right.
“I played more inside so some of those moves that he taught me, I have taught my daughters,” he said. “I learned a lot about basketball from him and he helped us become better humans.”
Woody’s love of athletics led him to become the Athletic Director in 1985. As Athletic Director, Woody continued his work as an advocate of sports until he retired from the Shawano School District in 1998. At about that time, Woody also found time to coach boys’ golf in the spring.
Woody ran the Community Recreation summer programs from A ball and T ball to Saturday morning basketball. Woody not only has had a lasting impact on his sons, Scott and Todd, but also on multiple generations of Shawano children who Woody continued to coach long after his sons’ playing careers had ended.
The love and dedication that Woody and Donna have for Shawano athletics continues to this day. “Up until just recently, he would attend the kids sporting events and showed his support for all sports, not just basketball,” Dreier said.
It is hard to imagine a basketball game without seeing Woody wearing his red Shawano sportcoat and Donna in her red Shawano letterman’s sweater. Norman “Woody” Davis left a legacy of passion and dedication to Shawano athletics.
“I have a lot of respect for Woody as a coach and over the year’s we have become good friends.”
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