Mike Davert is in his first season as head coach for the Coyotes.

Davert is no stranger to Kansas Wesleyan University, as he served as assistant coach for former coach and athletic director Jerry Jones for two seasons in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Davert succeeds Tommy DeSalme, who coached the Coyotes this past season, leading Wesleyan to its first KCAC Championship since the 1999-2000 season, and the school’s first-ever berth to the NAIA Division II National Championships, while setting a school record for wins in a season with 28.

Davert comes to KWU after spending the last three seasons as head coach at Southeast of Saline High School, where compiled a 48-19 overall record, and led the Trojans to the 2006-07 KSHSAA Boys’ Class 3A State tournament, finishing with a 22-2 record.

Davert said his coaching philosophy will be to move the ball up the floor, and play with a high level of intensity on both ends of the floor.

“The style of game I would like to play is full court. The teams I have coached have always pressed full court and gotten after it defensively,” he said. “It starts with defense, night in and night out the defensive pressure has to be there. There will be nights when your offense will struggle and you have to go into each game knowing that you can rely on your defense to get yourself some easy baskets.”

“We will definitely be a fun team to watch.”

Davert is a native of Escondido, Calif., and after starring at San Pasqual High played one season at Palomar Community College in San Marcos, Calif., before moving onto Marymount (Kan.) College, where he graduated with a degree in secondary education in 1985.

After Marymount, Davert played professionally in Dublin, Ireland, for one year, where he was also a coach.

He continued onto Emporia State (Kan.) University as a graduate assistant coach for legendary Hornet head coach Ron Slaymaker for three years while completing his master degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

After Emporia State, he was an assistant coach for one season at Central Missouri State.

Davert spent two seasons as assistant boys’ coach at Orange Glen High School in Escondido, Calif., before Jones asked Davert to return to Kansas as an assistant with the Coyotes in 2004.

He lives in Salina with his wife Kelly.