Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- nina.davis@mtsu.edu
- Phone:
- 424-2498
Twitter: __NinaDavis
A rising star in the coaching ranks and one of the most accomplished players in Big 12 history, Nina Davis enters her sixth season as an assistant coach at Middle Tennessee in 2025–26. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Davis brings over two decades of experience to the Blue Raider bench through a career that spans playing, coaching, and broadcasting at the highest levels of the game.
Since joining Head Coach Rick Insell’s staff in 2019, Davis has become a cornerstone of the Blue Raider program. She is actively involved in all aspects of Middle Tennessee women’s basketball, including recruiting, on-court coaching, scouting, and player development. Her passion, energy, and elite understanding of post play have made her one of the nation’s most respected young assistants—a reputation underscored when the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) named her to its prestigious Thirty Under 30 list in March 2023, honoring the top 30 assistant coaches in the country under the age of 30.
Davis has been instrumental in developing some of the most dominant frontcourt players in program history, none more impactful than Anastasiia Boldyreva, who has become one of the premier post players in the nation under Davis’s guidance. A 6-foot-7 center from Moscow, Russia, Boldyreva has emerged as a defensive force and an offensive anchor for the Blue Raiders. During the 2024–25 season, she led the nation in blocked shots, pacing all NCAA Division I players while anchoring a Middle Tennessee defense that ranked among the top 10 nationally in field goal percentage defense and scoring defense.
Boldyreva, a multiple-time All-CUSA honoree, also became just the third player in program history to surpass 200 career blocks and enters the 2025–26 campaign among the all-time leaders in rebounds, field goal percentage, and games started. Her growth and consistency stand as a testament to Davis’s coaching philosophy—combining technical skill development with an emphasis on confidence, positioning, and IQ in the paint.
Under Davis’s leadership, Middle Tennessee’s post rotation has consistently been among the deepest and most efficient in CUSA. Alongside Boldyreva, Davis has worked closely with veteran forwards Courtney Whitson and Kseniya Malashka, who each made All-CUSA selections and played major roles in the Blue Raiders’ postseason success. The trio helped propel Middle Tennessee to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2023 and 2024, as well as a 30-win season, CUSA regular season and tournament championships, and a berth in the NCAA Round of 32 in 2024.
Head Coach Rick Insell frequently credits Davis as one of the best post coaches in the game today—someone who not only knows the physical demands of the position but also understands its mindset. As a player, Davis was one of the most decorated forwards in Baylor history, helping the Lady Bears maintain their status as a national powerhouse under Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey.
At Baylor, Davis enjoyed a legendary four-year career from 2013–17, helping lead the program to an astonishing 134–15 record, four Big 12 regular season championships, four Big 12 Tournament titles, and four consecutive NCAA Elite Eight appearances. She averaged 16.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for her career, finishing as one of just five players in Baylor history to eclipse both 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds.
Davis was a two-time Associated Press All-American and earned All-America honors from the USBWA, WBCA, and Wooden Award committees. She was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2014, Big 12 Player of the Year in 2015, and a three-time First-Team All-Big 12 selection. Remarkably, she is the only player in Big 12 history to be named to the All-Tournament Team all four years of her career and was voted Big 12 Championship MVP twice.
In 2015, Davis represented the United States on the USA Basketball World University Games Team, helping lead Team USA to a gold medal with a perfect 6–0 record in Gwangju, South Korea.
After her collegiate career, Davis signed professionally with the Austria Flying Foxes, where she immediately made an impact—leading her team to both the regular season and cup championships while earning league MVP honors in 2017–18.
Following her professional playing career, Davis transitioned to broadcasting, quickly establishing herself as a dynamic analyst. She covered the NCAA Women’s Final Four and National Championship for ESPN in 2019 and later joined FOX Sports, where she provided insightful commentary on women’s college basketball. Her ability to articulate the game from a player’s perspective continues to serve her well on the sidelines, where she communicates with clarity, passion, and purpose.
Davis’s impact extends far beyond the court. She has become a mentor and role model for the Blue Raiders’ student-athletes, embodying the work ethic and character that define Middle Tennessee’s program. Her recruiting acumen, player relationships, and championship experience have helped sustain the Blue Raiders as one of the top mid-major programs in the nation and a perennial contender in CUSA.
Before her time at Baylor, Davis was a prep standout at Memphis Central High School, where she earned Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year, Parade All-American, and Class AAA Miss Basketball honors in 2013. She led Central to four consecutive state tournament appearances, winning the 2013 state championship while averaging 28.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. She finished her high school career with over 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
With her combination of championship pedigree, player development expertise, and infectious enthusiasm for the game, Nina Davis continues to be a driving force in the sustained success of Blue Raider basketball.
