Davey Whitney Honored with Harriet Tubman Award - MSNewsNow.com - Jackson, MS

Davey Whitney Honored with Harriet Tubman Award

JACKSON, MS (WLBT) - Davey Whitney was the first coach from a historical black college and university to win a game in the NCAA Tournament.

Friday, Coach Whitney was honored for being a trailblazer.

Whitney was one of four recipients of the Harriet Tubman Award handed out by the Magnolia Bar Association Friday night in Jackson.

Whitney guided Alcorn State to 509 wins including an upset of Mississippi State in the first round of NIT in 1980.

He was also the first coach to lead an HBCU to a win in the NCAA Tournament when Alcorn St. beat South Alabama.

Coach Whitney says he was pleasantly surprised by the honor.

"This is a complete surprise and the only thing I can say about that. The reason I'm here to receive this award is because a lot of other people have a lot of things to do with it and I appreciate it very much. I don't want to make no mistake to not to acknowledge it, I didn't get here by myself, I had a whole lot of help from Mississippi and other places," said Whitney.

Coach Whitney is the second winningest coach in HBCU college basketball behind the late Clarence "Big House" Gaines.

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