Thomas Parsons

Coach Nicole Davis high-fives player Paulina Hudson at the Steve Foster Invitational.

Nicole Davis’ arrival at Texas Wesleyan University dates back to the fall of 2022, when her son, Austin Davis, joined the university’s tennis team as a freshman. Equipped with an athletic training background and a passion for injury prevention, she volunteered to help each of the team’s players with conditioning, stretching and injuries. What Davis didn’t know was that she would develop a trust with the players that would make her stay until December 2024, when she was named head coach of the men’s and women’s tennis teams. 

Davis was born in Estherville, Iowa, but moved to Duncanville, Texas, at age 7. From a young age, she loved to compete, playing almost every sport, with basketball being her favorite. As her athletic journey progressed, soccer became her primary passion, leading her to play for the University of Texas at Austin women’s soccer team. 

Davis’ Division I experience garners a lot of respect from the team. Luca Link, a senior majoring in business administration and marketing, plays on the tennis team and also serves as a student assistant. 

“My experience with Coach Nicki has been great. She’s been our conditioning coach for the past two years,” Link said. “We have mutual respect for each other, and her experience as a Division I soccer player has brought a competitive mindset to our team.” 

Davis underwent a number of surgeries throughout her playing career, which gave her extensive knowledge about the human body, injuries and the importance of maintaining strength. After her third year at UT Austin, Davis’ career was cut short by injury. Devastated, she made it her goal to prevent similar experiences for other athletes.

She later met her husband, Allen Davis who played professional baseball for over 10 years after being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1998. Davis supported her husband’s career, and together they founded Davis Skill Center, a business that trained athletes from various sports in strength and endurance, emphasizing the importance of conditioning. 

When Davis had her first son, Austin, she began learning the rules of tennis as he took up the sport. She followed his career closely until he earned a scholarship to play at Texas Wesleyan University starting in the fall of 2022. 

Although Davis was unfamiliar with tennis, her extensive knowledge of other sports and the workings of the human body allowed her to quickly adjust to the sport and understand the its complexities.

During her son’s freshman year at Texas Wesleyan, Davis attended his tournaments and practices, helping with warmups, stretching and injury prevention. It was during this time that she noticed a lack of conditioning among the players. She volunteered to become the team’s conditioning coach, building strong relationships and trust with the players. 

“Coach Davis worries about every single player,” said Zeynep Ege, a sophomore majoring in business and marketing on the tennis team. “Every time a player gets injured, she is there for them, goes to the trainers with them and takes notes.” 

Two years later, in Dec. 2024, after Coach Angel Martinez, who had been head coach of the women’s team since 2015 and head coach of the men’s team since 2017, retired, Davis stepped in as interim head coach. 

“I’ve changed the culture here, and that’s been my number one goal,” Davis said. “Strength is crucial—physically and mentally. I want to create a championship mentality, not just for the player, but for the person.” 

As Texas Wesleyan’s tennis teams progress through Davis’ inaugural season as head coach, a reinvigorated team culture built upon holistic strength drives them.