LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Bellarmine University announced today that Harold Davis will become the first head coach in the school's sprint football program.
 
Davis, a Louisville native and a retired firefighter, comes to Bellarmine after a lengthy and successful high school coaching career. A graduate of Kentucky Wesleyan, where he was named team most valuable player in 1986, Davis' coaching resume includes two Kentucky 2A high school championships (2013 and 2014) and being named KHSAA Coach of the Year in 2018.
 
"I have no doubt that Harold Davis is the right person to lead Bellarmine's transition into sprint football," said Bellarmine Director of Athletics Scott Wiegandt. "He's exhibited outstanding leadership skills throughout his career both as a coach and as a first-responder for the Louisvlle Fire Department."
 
Bellarmine's entry into sprint football was announced earlier this year as a charter member of the new Midwest Sprint Football League (MSFL) that will begin play in the fall of 2022. Sprint football is a non-NCAA sport that adheres to the same rules as regular football with the only exception being a 178-pound weight limit (183 pounds with additional metrics). The weight limitation is designed to make the game both faster-paced and safer.
 
Davis said he is looking forward to the challenges and opportunities of starting the program from the ground up.  "I can't wait to get started," he said. "I appreciate the confidence Bellarmine has shown in me, and I'm excited to bring this new format of football to the Louisville area and join the Bellarmine Athletics family."
 
Sprint football evolved on the East Coast with teams such as the University of Pennsylvania, Army and Navy helping launch the sport in 1934. In its current form, it is organized under the direction of the nine-member Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL), which consists of teams from the eastern U.S. The addition of the separate Midwest Sprint Football League, with its own bylaws and championships, will represent the largest single-year expansion of the sport in nearly 90 years. Joining Bellarmine in the MSFL will be Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.), Fontbonne University (Mo.), Midway University (Ky.), Quincy University (Ill.), and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Ind.).
 
Davis will officially begin his duties August 15.

BELLARMINE SPRINT FOOTBALL WEBPAGE