Twitter.com/SethDavisHoops Seth Davis will be back on TV this March, breaking down some of the country's biggest college basketball games.
Seth Davis has made a career out of writing and talking about college basketball.
The longtime analyst is back on TV screens across America this March, breaking down games and players whose got the best shot at a championship. But after almost three decades in the business, Seth is well aware that his career is a team sport – as much as basketball.
Meet Melissa Davis, Seth’s wife and biggest supporter. Here’s everything you need to know about the pair and their life on and off the hardwood:
1. Seth & Melissa Are Parents to Three Boys
@BadgerMSoccer Tell Elan we miss him! Happy Thanksgiving Badgers
The longtime couple are parents to three sons – Zachary, Noah and Gabriel – and there’s never a dull moment in the Davis household. In fact, Seth told Life of Dad, “I like to say that they drive me crazy and keep me sane all at the same time.”
Of course, all three Davis boys are big-time fans of basketball and while they each have their favorite player – Noah prefers LeBron James to just about anyone – there is one thing they can agree on. They all root for Duke.
In fact, one of the Davis’ favorite moments came when Seth was covering Duke while the Blue Devils were playing in New York City. The boys wanted to visit with the team and Coach K, but, as Seth told the story to Life of Dad, “We went to the wrong hotel and we almost missed it. I was about to call it off, but they were very insistent.” The family, eventually, got to the right hotel, met with the team and spent some time taking pictures with players and coaches. It was chaotic, but that’s how things usually are for Seth and Melissa and, most importantly, it was a memory none of them will ever forget.
2. The Family Comes to the Final Four Every Year
Thank you Turner/CBS peeps for another great run. I love being on this team.
The Davis family doesn’t often follow Seth on the road, but when it comes to the NCAA Tournament, things are a little bit different. Melissa and the boys are always in the stands for the Final Four and were vocal fans when, in 2010, Duke played Butler in the championship game.
Despite their focus on the game, the Davis family almost missed the final moments as the man whose chartered plane they’d come on wanted to leave early. That wouldn’t fly, quite literally, with any of the group. “Seth was like `No way. Zachary’s not leaving,'” Melissa told the Connecticut Post.
Eventually, the family was forced to rent a car the next morning, driving from Indianapolis to Cincinnati, the closest airport they could with a flight back home to Connecticut. It wasn’t the easiest trip, but after spending time on the set and cheering on the Blue Devils, it was another important memory for the family.
“He really balances it well,” Melissa said. “I could criticize him for a million things that he doesn’t do at home like make the bed and do laundry, but when it comes to being a father he’s really amazing.”
3. Melissa & Seth Are Connecticut Natives With Strong Political Ties
Workin’
Melissa was born and raised in Connecticut, graduating from Danbury High School. Seth, meanwhile, was born at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut, but grew up in Potomac, Maryland.
The Davis family also has strong ties to some big-time political names in addition to its relationship with a handful of athletic stars. Seth’s father, Lanny, was a Yale Law School graduate who was close friends in college with Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as Senator Joe Lieberman. In fact, Lieberman is Seth’s godfather.
America!
Lanny eventually went on to serve as President Clinton’s special counsel for two years.
4. She’s Been a Big-Time Source of Support Throughout Seth’s Career
Happy to be honoring #autismspeaks in Studio 43 with my partners @ClarkKelloggCBS @jppalmCBS and @GregGumbelCBS
Of course, covering some of the biggest events in the sports world requires a considerable amount of travel and while Melissa has been able to join Seth at games, the couple still spends a good amount of time apart.
Seth’s career started at the New-Haven Register after he graduated from Duke in 1992, before joining Sports Illustrated as a fact-checker and working for the magazine for the next twenty-plus years. Through it all, though, Seth and Melissa have found a way to balance work and home and are quick to credit each other for all of their support over the last few decades.
“[I’m a dad] and being Melissa Davis’ husband, that is who I am,” Seth told Life of Dad. “This stuff is what I do to make enough money to support them. I am not one of these guys that lives to work. I work to live. I have been unbelievably fortunate to be able to manage my life so even though I travel a lot I have a home office. I am really lucky that I get to be around. I am lucky to be their dad because they are incredible boys.”
5. The Couple Live in Ridgefield, Connecticut
Buckeye Guy is ready! Game tips at 7 pm on @BigTenNetwork
When they aren’t watching basketball games or tuning in to see Seth break down the upcoming NCAA Tournament on TV, the Davis family calls Ridgefield, Connecticut home.
Date night with the wife. The Accountant, Sully, Deepwater Horizon or Girl on the Train?
The town, about two hours outside of New York City, has a rich history, founded in 1709 and played host to the Battle of Ridgefield during the American Revolution.