Troy University Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2016
Described as one of the most exciting players to watch in the history of Troy basketball, it’s easy to understand why. David Felix’s name is written throughout the Troy record book. His time as a Trojan guard was certainly enough to warrant Felix a Troy University Sports Hall of Fame induction, but his three decades on the bench as a Trojan coach really cemented the legacy of David Felix.
His stats as a player shine light on the excitement Felix brought to the court. He is still the Trojan record holder with 625 assists and 251 steals, two staples of any great point guard. However, Felix is also still sixth in Troy history in scoring with 1,469 points, despite playing before the 3-point line was introduced. A three-time All-Gulf South Conference selection, Felix was the leader of Troy’s 1977 Gulf South Conference championship team. Â
It wasn’t just the records though, Felix’s personality also made him a fan favorite, and that is what led him into coaching. Upon graduation, Felix spent two seasons as the head coach at Lowndes Academy before returning to Troy as an assistant coach. Felix would go on to spend 32 seasons on the Troy bench, with the final 31 coming on the staff of fellow Troy University Sports Hall of Famer, Don Maestri.
“Charisma made David a great athlete, a great coach, a great recruiter and a friend to many people,” Maestri said.
Felix and Maestri were the architects behind the rise of Troy basketball, and Maestri will be the first to tell anybody that the construction of one of nation’s most exciting programs was certainly a team effort.
“David was never the assistant coach all of those years,” Maestri said. “He was the co-head coach of the team. We coached the team together, and I’m not saying that to be humble, that’s a fact. He was just as responsible for our 500 wins as anybody else in the program.”
The 500 wins came while Felix and Maestri were guiding the Trojans to four trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament, a pair of NCAA Division II Final Four appearances (1988, 1993), one NCAA Division I Tournament appearance in 2003 and two NIT appearances. Â
They accomplished all of that with a flair and a style of basketball that kept fans pouring into Sartain Hall. Troy led the nation in 3-pointers made per game on six different occasions and won three NCAA scoring titles. The Trojans also set the NCAA single-game scoring record with a 258-141 win over DeVry in January 1992.
Felix signed 42 all-conference student-athletes in his time at Troy, and he and Maestri were the masters of getting the most out of those players, but it was easy for anybody around the program to see Felix’s ability to connect with his players was a huge part of that success.
“I’ve met hundreds of college coaches over the years, and not one has a better rapport with college players than David,” Maestri said. “He could throw a player out of practice one day, and the next day that same player would have his arm around David. Players loved David Felix. Most of our players could imitate David, especially his laugh.”
The infectious laugh and undeniable likeability carried over from the court to the home, as well. Felix and his wife, Mary, raised two children while in Troy, Drew and Addy, and Maestri was most impressed with Felix’s ability to be such a great father while also being one of the best assistant coaches around.
“What people don’t know about him is how well he raised his own kids,” Maestri said. “If he and Mary would write a book on on bringing up children, it would be a best seller. They did an unbelievable job in raising their family.”
