Davidson retires as Acadiana football coach

Kevin Foote,The Advertiser, Feb. 22, 2018

Athletic Network Footnote by Dr. Ed Dugas.
Click here for photo gallery of Coach Davidson and Acadiana football over the years.

“I still enjoy it, but I’m just not sure I have the ‘oomph’ that it takes anymore after 42 years,” said Davidson, who finishes with a career record of 154-46, including a 6-4 record as Walker’s head coach in 1980.

“During that playoff run this year, it was hard on me. And then the way we lost, it just ripped my heart out.

“I just felt it was time.”

The news naturally sent shockwaves around the Acadiana area.

“Even though they beat us most of the time, I hate to see him go because he’s one of the classiest guys in the business,” New Iberia football coach Rick Hutson said.

When longtime Acadiana High offensive line coach and coordinator Ted Davidson took over the Wreckin’ Rams football program as head coach prior to the 2004 season, no one had any way of knowing what was about to happen.

In that first season, some likely wondered if it would be a trend in a different direction.

Davidson’s first season as head coach with the Rams produced an unusual 5-5, 3-4 record.

Fast-forward to Thursday morning, Davidson delivered the news to his team that he was retiring from coaching.

He leaves behind a 14-year head coaching career at Acadiana unrivaled by any in the history of Lafayette Parish high school football.

OPINION: 2014 title run may be Rams’ most impressive

In the 13 seasons after that subpar first season, the Rams won four state championships and had two state runner-up finishes. This past season, Acadiana lost 43-42 to Hahnville on a two-point conversion in overtime to finish 12-2.

“During that playoff run this year, it was hard on me. And then the way we lost, it just ripped my heart out.

“I just felt it was time.”

The news naturally sent shockwaves around the Acadiana area.

“Even though they beat us most of the time, I hate to see him go because he’s one of the classiest guys in the business,” New Iberia football coach Rick Hutson said.

“Everybody talks about West Monroes, but nobody’s had a better 10-year run than they’ve had.”

Davidson arrived at Acadiana in 1981, along with Scott McCullough, under head coach Bill Dotson. Prior to becoming the head football coach, he served as defensive coordinator, head track coach and even McCullough’s assistant baseball coach for a decade.

Davidson’s calling card, however, was always his expertise as an offensive line coach.

“He was a tremendous offensive line coach all his life,” McCullough said. “He’s the best offensive line coach I’ve ever been around. I think he could have coached at any level anywhere at any time. I really believe that. I think he could have coached in the pros or in college and done better than most of these college coaches.”

When Willard Hanks replaced Dotson as head coach in 1997, Davidson became the offensive coordinator, and his influence on the veer began. The Rams made the semifinals in 2002 and 2003 for the first time since 1977.

“He had tremendous offensive knowledge and he could see things real quickly,” McCullough said. “After two plays, he could tell you the blocking schemes. It’s a lot easier now with all the cameras, but before the technology, Ted was really good at doing all of that stuff.”

But McCullough said it was his preparation and intensity that pushed the Rams to new heights.

“He had an intensity about him,” he said. “He wanted things done right. He made sure you did it until you got it right. If you made a mistake, you ran it again. If you had to run it five times, you ran it five times.

“He really had you prepared for every game, but the biggest thing he brought was the intensity. He just believed that we were going to be better than anybody else and the kids bought into it.”

Bobby Green first coached against Davidson at Lafayette High and then served as Acadiana’s assistant principal during Davidson’s glory years.

“If you looked up offensive line in the dictionary, his picture would be right there,” Green said.

“Ted wasn’t a complicated guy. He found something that works and he sticks with it. When I was coaching against him, we used to out-think ourselves and sure enough, he would come right back at you with what had worked before.”

Once Green moved to Acadiana High, he noticed something else about Davidson.

“I realized just how sincere he was as a person,” Green said. “You could just see that when he was around the kids, he was sincere. They had fun and he worked hard, but there was a great relationship there.”

That player-coach relationship in the Davidson era was based on fairness.

“Ted was a great person,” McCullough said. “He was always very fair to the kids. He was tough on them, but they understood he was fair to them.”

Davidson said it remains unclear who will follow him as a head coach.

“There are several guys on the staff capable of doing it,” he said. “Somebody else will leave a mark here. I think I’m leaving the program in good hands. The basic stuff will stay the same here.”

Davidson said he plans to travel more, but will remain in the area.

“I’m going to be sleeping under the stars a little bit,” he laughed.