PORTLAND STATE HONORS LIVING LEGEND —AND SOCAL COYOTES’ MENTOR — DARREL ‘MOUSE’ DAVIS

Mouse Davis on the sidelines with the SoCal Coyotes

The Godfather of the Run ‘n’ Shoot Leaves an Eternal Legacy — From Portland to Palm Springs

By Sam Maggio
Strategic Operating Partner

(PORTLAND, Ore.) — Portland State University will honor 93-year-old coaching legend Darrel ‘Mouse’ Davis with a two-day tribute Nov. 14–15, celebrating the unveiling of the Darrel ‘Mouse’ Davis Monument and the launch of the Football Innovation Endowment inside Viking Pavilion.

The weekend will bring together generations of players, coaches, and friends to salute the man who changed football forever — from his revolutionary Run ’n’ Shoot offense to the fearless philosophy that still defines the game today.

The Darrel ‘Mouse’ Davis Football Innovation Endowment will preserve the creative spirit that fueled Davis’ extraordinary life and career, ensuring his influence continues to inspire coaches, athletes, and innovators for generations to come. The fundraising goal for the initiative is $1.2 million, with plans to unveil a permanent monument honoring Davis at a special event on Nov. 14, 2025, during a weekend football alumni gathering.

For the SoCal Coyotes 501(c)(3), this moment carries deeply personal meaning. Davis wasn’t just a pioneer — he was a mentor, a teacher, and the spiritual architect behind the Coyotes’ championship culture and faith-based leadership programs.

Mouse’s fingerprints are etched into every play, every principle, and every ounce of the Coyotes’ DNA.

A Monument Fit for a Pioneer

The Portland State project will raise $1.2 million to fund a permanent monument and an endowment that supports future football innovation at the university.

Located in the Viking Pavilion’s Hall of Fame, the memorial will serve as a living tribute — not only commemorating Davis’ achievements, but celebrating the bold, creative spirit he embodies.

That same spirit is alive today in the Coachella Valley, where the SoCal Coyotes proudly carry forward Mouse’s gospel through their faith-based youth leadership programs, NFL Flag, camps, clinics and symposia.

“Kids are every bit as smart, creative and talented as their coaches let them be,” declared Mouse, who believes repetition, repetition, repetition can polish the roughest diamond to a brilliant shine.

The Man Who Changed the Game

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Davis shattered the norms of football convention at Portland State. He introduced the Run ’n’ Shoot offense — a wide-open, high-octane system that unleashed quarterbacks, stretched defenses, and made football fun again.

“When the lights come on, there are only two kinds of quarterbacks — one gets better, and one gets worse.” — Mouse Davis

Under Davis’ leadership, the Vikings posted record-breaking numbers. His offense didn’t just move the ball; it moved minds. From Portland to the pros, the Run ’n’ Shoot influenced generations of coaches and players — from the (original) USFL’s Houston Gamblers to the NFL’s Detroit Lions and their iconic running back Barry Sanders, to the Atlanta Falcons, San Diego Chargers,

and University of Hawaii and SMU under June Jones, who carried Mouse’s gospel to national prominence.

“Leaders focus on measurable results — losers explain why they don’t have any,” Davis preached. He proved that freedom within structure could be unstoppable — a lesson that transcended sport.

A Writer, a Coach, and a Calling

Long before the rest of the football world caught on, a young upstart author and pro football editor named J David Miller recognized Mouse’s genius. In an article for SPORT — then the nation’s largest monthly sports magazine — Miller boldly predicted that Davis’ offense would one day reshape the NFL.

For Miller, who grew up without a father, Davis became more than a coach; he became a compass. The young journalist clung to Mouse’s belief in him — a belief that would later fuel a mission to reach young men who, like him, were searching for guidance, purpose, and hope.

That article sparked a relationship that has lasted more than four decades — a relationship built on faith, belief, and shared conviction.

“Mouse taught me how to see people, not just players,” Miller said. “He didn’t just teach me how to coach football — he showed me how to build belief. No boy leaves defeated. I’m simply a steward of his system and his spirit.”

Years later, both men stood side-by-side in Palm Springs, inducted into a minor league football Hall of Fame, Class of 2014. It was Davis’ fifth Hall of Fame induction. That night, Mouse — the keynote speaker — moved a packed house with his message of freedom, faith, and fun in football.

“Every kid who plays football dreams to have fun and be great … unless a coach or an adult tells them they can’t,” Mouse said.

Miller, then coaching the SoCal Coyotes, knew exactly what he meant.

The Gospel of the Run ’n’ Shoot

For Davis, football was never about control — it was about trust. Receivers read defenses in real time. Quarterbacks relied on instinct, preparation, and confidence. Every play demanded accountability and belief.

“We hold the chalk last,” Davis often said. “There is simply no way to stop what we do.”

His offense was more than strategy; it was a mindset. It demanded adaptability, courage, and constant growth — the very same qualities he cultivated in his players and coaches.

Those principles shaped not just an offense, but a movement — one that continues to influence every level of football today.

Faith, Family, Football in the Desert

In 2012, inspired by the best-selling book Hawaii Warrior Football: A Story of Faith, Hope and Redemption — penned by Miller, framed by June Jones, and powered by a lifetime of Mouse’s wisdom — the SoCal Coyotes were born.

Their mission: Faith. Family. Football.

Their method: Mouse’s.

From their first practice, the Coyotes embodied the ‘Above the Line’ values Davis preached — skillful, intentional and on-purpose.

The result: 10 championship appearances, six titles, two undefeated seasons, and a national championship run, compiling a record of 106–16 — all while developing leaders who would carry those lessons into life.

“Real coaches deliver results, pretenders talk about why they don’t,” Davis insisted, and urged all who would listen to rise above the ‘blaming, complaining, explaining and excuse-making’ of his peers.

Another reason why the Coyotes’ true scoreboard isn’t measured in wins. It’s in changed lives.

While Miller and his staff pour into young men and women of all ages and backgrounds, he has a particular soft spot for those  from fatherless homes. Through partnerships with Juvenile Hall, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, and their numerous youth outreach programs, the Coyotes have taught accountability, discipline, and self-worth through the game Mouse loves.

Today, the Coyotes’ mission has shifted from professional developmental football to youth, ages 8-18. Their footprint has since expanded across Southern California through their NFL partnership with NFL Flag, where the Coyotes now oversee five regional territories that impact tens of thousands boys and girls each season — spreading the same values of teamwork, creativity, and belief that Mouse instilled decades ago.

When the California State Senate named the SoCal Coyotes Non-Profit of the Year, it recognized more than championships. It recognized a legacy of mentorship — a living extension of Darrel ‘Mouse’ Davis.

A Legacy That Lives and Gives

Now, that same legacy returns to where it all began.

The Darrel ‘Mouse’ Davis Football Innovation Endowment at Portland State University will fund creative initiatives that advance the game — from equipment and technology to leadership development and coaching innovation.

The total fundraising goal is $1.2 million, covering the cost of the monument and establishing a self-sustaining endowment that will yield annual support of at least $50,000.

Pledges can be made over five years, with immediate lead gifts needed to begin construction and launch the fund.

To visit a secure giving link, click here. 

Portland State’s Director of Athletics Matt Billings and Associate Athletic Director for Development Erik Edmonds are spearheading the effort to ensure that the man who revolutionized football at PSU will forever stand as a symbol of creativity, adaptability, and heart.

Join the Movement

The SoCal Coyotes have long said that Mouse Davis didn’t just change football — he changed people.

His influence lives in every quarterback who’s learned to trust his read, every receiver who’s learned to think, and every young man who’s learned to lead.

It lives in the halls of Portland State and in the desert fields of Palm Springs — and it endures in every life transformed by the faith, freedom, and fun he taught the game to represent.

Now it’s our turn to give back.

You can honor Mouse Davis by contributing to the endowment that bears his name — and by sharing his story. Together, we can ensure that future generations learn to think freely, live creatively, and believe relentlessly.

As Mouse would remind us, “Every day, in every way, we always get a little bit better.”

WAYS TO GIVE TO THE DARREL ‘MOUSE’ DAVIS FOOTBALL INNOVATION ENDOWMENT

Honor Mouse’s enduring legacy by supporting the permanent Hall of Fame monument and endowment at Portland State University’s Viking Pavilion. Gifts fund coaching and leadership innovation, technology, and future-forward initiatives that reflect Mouse’s creative spirit.

• Give online: Click here to use Portland State University’s secure giving portal.

• By mail:

  Checks can be sent to the following address:

  Portland State Univeristy Foundation

  P .O. Box 243

  Portland, OR 97207-0243

  *Please make checks payable to the “Portland State University Foundation” and include Mouse Davis Endowment in the memo line.

• Pledges: Multi-year pledges are welcome; lead gifts will accelerate construction and launch the fund.

ABOUT THE SOCAL COYOTES

Founded in 2012 by non-profit Founder, Hall of Fame Coach, and pastor J. David Miller, The SoCal Coyotes are a 501(c)(3) organization selected as California Non-Profit of the Year (2021). The Coyotes’ Above the Line™ behavior-management and leadership programming has impacted nearly a million youth, carrying forward Mouse Davis’s philosophy of faith, family, and football through NFL Flag partnerships and youth leadership initiatives across five Southern California markets. Learn more or get involved at TheSoCalCoyotes.com.

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Sam Maggio is a board member and Strategic Operating Partner of The SoCal Coyotes. He has served with the award-winning, non-profit youth leadership organization since its inception in 2012. Want to get involved in shaping tomorrow’s leaders? Email your thoughts and comments to Sam directly at [email protected].