Former Mississippi Football Coach Paul Davis Dead At 87

April 2, 2009 7:24 p.m. EST

Starkville, MS (AHN) - Paul Davis, who coached Mississippi State's football team for five seasons and served as a long-time Auburn assistant, died Tuesday in an Auburn hospice at the age of 87.

A spokeswoman at Bethany House and an official at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home in Opelika, Alabama confirmed the death, the cause of which was not immediately known.

Davis coached the Bulldogs from 1962-1966, steering the team to a Liberty Bowl victory over North Carolina State in 1963.

His overall record at Mississippi State was 20-38-2, with a 9-22-2 mark in the Southeastern Conference.

After his coaching career with the Bulldogs, Davis joined Auburn and Alabama as an assistant.

He served as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach while helping Auburn play in nine bowl games. He also coached seven All-Americans in a 17-year stint at Auburn.