- Men's Sports
Coaches
Head Coach Jeff Porter
(Geneva '01)
Email: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Phone: (937) 484-1393
Jeff Porter was named the Head Men's Basketball Coach at Urbana University on March 21, 2008. The Blue Knights had just finished their final season in the NAIA, and the team had begun the transition to become an NCAA Division II member.
"I would like to thank the administration at Urbana University for giving me the opportunity to coach its men's basketball program," said Porter on the day he was announced as the new coach. "I feel like this is a good fit for me and that this basketball program is a place where I can make a positive contribution toward developing the lives of Urbana's student-athletes for many years to come."
Porter made great strides in his first season at the helm of the program. The Blue Knights improved their win total, despite playing against a tougher D-II schedule that featured just 6 total home games. The team even won 4 out of 5 games to open up play in 2009 and posted a winning record during the month of January.
"I really like the direction Urbana is taking; going NCAA D-II is a big step for this program," Porter added.
Porter comes to Urbana after serving as the Head Men's Basketball Coach at Mercyhurst North East. a two-year junior college in North East, Pennsylvania. Porter led the Saints to a 19-9 record in his first year as the head coach. His Saints, comprised of just two returning players, finished second in the Western New York Athletic Conference. That squad proved to be the highest scoring team in school history as it averaged 90.5 points per game. The Saints were rewarded with a second seed and first round bye in the NJCAA Region III Division II Tournament. Porter led the Saints to the championship game where they fell to Monroe.
Porter posted a 58-30 career record at Mercyhurst North East, twice taking the Saints to the NJCAA Region III Finals in three seasons as head coach. Porter was also an adjunct professor for the sports management department at MNE.
Before taking over as head coach of the Saints, Porter spent two seasons as an assistant coach at MNE. He also served as the head cross country coach. In 2003-04, MNE won its first ever men's basketball WNYAC championship and finished the season 23-6. In 2004-05, the Saints finished with an overall record of 21-8.
Prior to his stint at MNE, Porter served as an assistant coach at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania during the 2002-03 season. He has worked various summer camps in the state of Pennsylvania.
The Kittanning, PA native graduated from Geneva College in 2001 with a degree in Psychology. While at Geneva, he played for the Golden Tornadoes and was part of a squad that played in the championship game of the NCCAA national tournament. In 2003, Porter earned his Master's Degree in Sports Studies/Management at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Jeff is the son of Mark and Christine Porter of Worthington, Pennsylvania. He resides in Urbana with his wife, Stephanie.
Assistant Coach
Al Davenport, M. Ed.
(Urbana University '05/Urbana University '07)
Email: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Phone: (937) 484-1364
Al Davenport is back for his ninth year with the Urbana University men's basketball program. Davenport was a member of the Blue Knights' basketball team for four years. Following his playing career, he served as the head junior varsity coach and graduate assistant for two years. The past three years, Davenport has been the Assistant Men's Basketball Coach, as well as the Head Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach at Urbana. Davenport re-established the Blue Knights' cross country program, recruiting and coaching the first teams to run for Urbana University in over 2 decades.
Davenport earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Urbana University in the spring of 2005. He later earned his Master's Degree in Education from Urbana in the spring of 2007.
During his playing days, Davenport was a two-year captain and two-time American Mideast Conference selection for the Blue Knights. He was named Most Valuable Player his junior and senior years and he received Urbana University's Coach's Award following his freshman year. He finished his career with 699 points, 472 assists, 232 rebounds, 130 steals and a .375 career field goal percentage. Davenport is a graduate of Westerville South High School. He is the son of Stephanie Hall of Columbus, Ohio. He has two brothers, Robert Ray and Carl Davenport, and a daughter, Maija Watts.