Ben Davis has built a coaching career around development, accountability, and a deep commitment to Marauder football.
As he entered his ninth season on the University of Mary sidelines in 2022, Davis prepared to return to coaching the defensive line after three seasons leading the linebackers. His journey through multiple coaching roles — including defensive coordinator, co-defensive coordinator, linebackers coach, defensive line coach, offensive line coach, and running backs coach — reflects a willingness to serve wherever the Marauders need leadership.
That versatility is part of Davis’s story. So is the steady improvement of the student-athletes and defensive units entrusted to his guidance.
Davis became the Marauders’ defensive coordinator in the spring of 2020 after being elevated from co-defensive coordinator following the 2019 season.
In 2021, the defense made meaningful gains in several statistical categories, including points allowed per game, total defense, rush defense, third-down defense, and red-zone defense. The progress on third downs and in the red zone was especially significant as the Marauders climbed the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rankings.
On third downs, the defense improved from 16th in the NSIC in 2019 to seventh in 2021. The opposing conversion rate dropped from 47.3 percent to 39.5 percent.
The Marauders also improved in red-zone defense, moving from 10th in the conference to a tie for sixth. The percentage of red-zone possessions that ended in scores declined from 80.8 percent to 78.7 percent.
These improvements represented more than numbers on a stat sheet. They reflected preparation, discipline, and a defensive culture built one practice and one assignment at a time.
After spending the 2018 season at Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, Davis returned to the Marauders in February 2019 as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
During that season, the linebacker group was led by Paul Guptill, who became an all-conference performer. Guptill led the team in sacks with three, tackles for loss with 9.5, forced fumbles with two, and defensive touchdowns with two. He finished second on the team with 81 tackles, including 34 solo tackles.
Guptill also earned NSIC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance in the final game of the 2019 season. He returned an interception 39 yards for a touchdown, recorded a sack, and totaled nine tackles.
The season illustrated the impact of position-specific coaching and the importance of developing players to perform when the moment demands it.
Davis’s work with the Marauder defensive line has been a consistent part of his coaching legacy.
Before his return as co-defensive coordinator, Davis coached the defensive line during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. That group was anchored by defensive tackle Brock Pittsley, an all-conference performer in 2017 who recorded seven sacks — the third-highest total in the NSIC that season.
Over those two seasons, the Marauders moved eight places in the Northern Sun sack rankings, rising from 16th to eighth.
Davis also coached the offensive line during the 2015 season after returning to the Marauders full time in the spring. That offensive line allowed sacks on just 4.84 percent of drop backs, the fifth-best figure in the league. When the program transitioned its offensive philosophy, he returned to the defensive line for the 2016 season.
His coaching path demonstrates the value of adaptability while remaining grounded in the fundamentals: preparation, technique, effort, and team responsibility.
Davis originally joined the University of Mary in 2013 as a graduate assistant coaching the running backs. He moved to defensive ends coach in 2014, working with Marauder all-conference defensive end Troy Guptill, who finished fourth in the NSIC in sacks that season with 10.
Davis began his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater, MacMurray College, in 2012. There, he guided the Highlanders’ starting running back to second-team all-conference honors.
As a player at MacMurray, Davis started at both defensive end and nose tackle. He earned UMAC academic all-conference honors in 2010 and was recognized by the Highlanders athletic department for graduating with the highest academic achievement among male athletes during the 2011–12 academic year.
Davis graduated from MacMurray College in 2011 with a degree in Sports Management and a minor in coaching. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Mary in 2014.
Davis’s career reflects the connection between athletics, education, and character formation. His coaching has helped student-athletes grow as competitors, teammates, and leaders while supporting the broader mission of University of Mary athletics.
That commitment also extends into the Marauder community. Davis’s wife, Liz, works as an athletic trainer at the University of Mary, supporting several Marauder athletic programs.
Together, their connection to the University of Mary represents the kind of lasting investment that strengthens a program across generations.
Ben Davis’s story is one of steady service to Marauder football. From the running backs room to the defensive line, from graduate assistant to defensive coordinator, Davis has continued to contribute through preparation, leadership, and a commitment to developing others.
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