sports spotlight: randy davis
Randy Davis
By Mike Tupa
April 2, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
RANDY DAVIS
A giant smile, burning competitive intensity, gregarious courtesy, intelligence, patience, kindness, a man of principle and a keen assessment of talent and how to develop it.
Randy Davis brought all of that to his long coaching stint — most of it as Copan High School’s fastpitch softball head coach.
His legacy included two consecutive state titles (1997-98) and other state tourney glory and appearances.
But — like all beloved mentors — the real wealth of his achievement can only be assessed by the positive impact he imprinted on the hearts and characters of his players.
There have been hundreds, between his many years coaching at Copan or Sedan (Kan.) High School.
But he also knew to put family first. Prior to the 1999 softball season — with the almost certainty of a third-straight state title — he resigned from softball and took the job of assistant football coach at the same time his son Kyle played for the Hornets. Sure enough, the 1999 softball team did climb to the state title, with Davis’ former assistant Rick Martinez as head coach.
Randy Davis returned a year or two later to softball and led the program another decade before leaving at Copan and working a few years in the Sedan sports program. In the early 2020s, Davis came out of retirement to try to revive a struggling Copan softball program, challenged by a low number of players and even less varsity experience.
After helping foster as much success as any other coach might have done in similar circumstances, Davis stepped away following the 2024 season for the third — and likely final time — as the Copan softball coach.
Just prior to his return in 2022 as the Lady Hornets’ head coach, Davis had experienced a tremendous personal tragedy that puts in mind some immortal words by the poet Robert Frost:
In March 2021, Kyle — the son of Davis and his wife Karen, the son who Davis had coached in football — had his life taken while in the line of duty as a Deputy Sheriff for Washington County.
Perhaps it was part of Davis’ tribute to his heroic son that led him back to coaching and helping young people one final time.
Now — although one should never say never — Davis’ time in the dugout and the third-base box has ended.
A teaching/coaching journey no doubt inspired by the influence of his father Les Davis — one of the legendary high school coaches in Kansas’ history.
All good coaches are fathers of memories cultivated in their former players’ hearts, memories of happy times of impetuous youth, friendship and a sense of belonging.
No one can put a value on the worth of a good coach — and a good man.
Randy Davis with softball players from the early 2000s.