With coaching experience at multiple NCAA levels, Peter Davila enters his second season as the defensive backs coach.
In his first year with the program, Davila worked with a unit that helped the Vulcans lead the PSAC in passing defense at 176.2 yards per game. Cal U surrendered just 13 passing touchdowns during the season, while ranking eighth in nation in scoring defense at 16.7 points per game. Davila worked with three All-PSAC West selections last year with Aaron Terry earning All-America honors.
Davila spent the 2015 season as the safeties coach at James Madison after spending three years on the coaching staff at Otterbein (Ohio). He also served on the staff at Capital (Ohio) and completed a pair of internships with NFL franchises through the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Program.
In 2015, Davila helped the Dukes finish with a 9-3 overall record and make a consecutive appearance in the FCS Playoffs, their third in five years. James Madison also finished with a share of the title in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), marking its first league title since 2008. Davila helped mentor All-CAA Second-Team safety Raven Green, who finished third on the team with 88 tackles and registered two interceptions as a junior.
Davila completed internships with both the Minnesota Vikings and Houston Texans after being selected for the Bill Walsh Program. In 2013, he spent time with the Vikings and worked alongside Fred Pagac and Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Singletary. The following year, Davila served with the Texans and John Butler and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel.
A native of Miami, Florida, Davila spent two years at Otterbein as the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator following a year as a graduate assistant. In 2012, the Cardinals finished with an 8-2 overall record – a five-win improvement from the previous year – with both losses coming against Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) teams that made the NCAA Playoffs. Davila helped develop All-OAC Second-Team linebacker Chad Pepper, who ranked second on the team with 48 tackles and also recorded 3.5 sacks. As the special teams coordinator at Otterbein, he worked with a unit that led the league in kickoff returns in 2014 behind an OAC-best average of 26.2 yards per kickoff return by Tyler Hammond.
Davila won a pair of national championships at the NCAA Division I-AA level while at Youngstown State from 1994-97. He played both defensive back and linebacker for the Penguins under then-head coach, and now university president, Jim Tressel. As a senior in 1997, Davila finished fourth on the team with 70 tackles and was selected the Ron Stoops Inspirational Player by his teammates.
Following college, Davila spent one season as the linebackers coach at Wofford (S.C.) at the NCAA Division I-AA level before transitioning to high school coaching. He coached high school in Ohio at East Cleveland Shaw and Richmond for nearly a decade before returning to the college level in 2011 at Capital. While with the Crusaders, he worked with the linebackers and helped develop All-OAC First-Team selection Troy Spiker, who finished third in the league with 108 tackles.
Davila earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Youngstown State in 1998. He resides in Washington, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Emily, and their two daughters, Gabriella and Kylie.
