Dr. Devin Davis grew up in Riverton, graduating in 1984 before heading off for Northwest Community College in Powell and later the University of Wyoming.
Davis was accepted into the Pacific University optometry program and four years later was an optometrist.
Though he became a professional, built his own practice and served patients in four communities, the connections to Riverton remained strong.
Many of those connections came through his faith and in expressing that faith through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).
“I went to FCA in high school in Riverton at the First Baptist Church. It was my first introduction to FCA,” Davis said. “I started going to FCA at UW. I lost track at optometry school.”
His first position was in Fort Collins, working with an optometrist from Lander.
“I realized that Ft. Collins was growing too fast,” Davis said.
He moved to Sterling, Colorado, working in a clinic with another optometrist who was originally from Wyoming.
It was at Sterling that he met his wife, Kim.
“We moved to Wheatland in 1997. Kim started coaching in 1998,” Davis said.
Aaron Frude, a former Wyoming football player who is now the state FCA director, was integral in getting Davis back into FCA.
“Aaron was in Laramie doing the UW FCA but was in charge of the whole region. He helped me to set up a huddle at Wheatland High School. That was my first step into leadership,” Davis said.
FCA groups are called huddles.
One of his FCA members was Eric Watson, the current head wrestling coach at Lander Valley High School.
“I met Eric at Wheatland, he was in my huddle,” Davis said.
After 13 years in Platte County, Devin and Kim moved to Chadron, Nebraska, in 2010.
“I was active in FCA at Chadron High School,” Davis said.
Brent Bargen was the head men’s basketball coach at Chadron State University.
“Brent and I started a huddle at Chadron State. I just loved my time with Brent and our huddle there. We got it going strong,” Davis said. “FCA sent someone there to do the ministry as a staff member. I got to know Brett Hunter, the wrestling coach, really well. I did a wrestling-only bible study weekly.”
While at Chardon, he worked at the Pine Ridge Reservation in nearby South Dakota for three years, then bought his own practice
Kim coached for three years as an assistant volleyball coach at Chadron.
Their daughter Maaryn graduated from Chadron after playing two years of volleyball at Sheridan College and one in Chadron.
Their son, Tyler Smart, wrestled at Chadron State, but Fremont County beckoned.
Davis was growing tired of the business side of optometry.
“I got so burned out owning my own practice,” Davis said. “Healthcare had changed I was working too hard and not getting anywhere. Then we moved to Riverton. I had in my heart that I wanted to go into ministry as far as staff with FCA. I couldn’t figure out how to connect the two.”
That connection came in returning to Riverton.
Devin played Little League and then American Legion Baseball with Dr. Jim Hinkle at Riverton Vision Center.
Dr. Brian Ballard was retiring, and a position opened.
“I started working at the Riverton Vision Center, not full time,” Davis said. “It let me get back into FCA. It took a little while to reach fruition.”
In December 2021, they were back in Riverton. Kim took the head volleyball position at Riverton High School and, after a successful tenure, became the head women’s volleyball coach at Central Wyoming College.
“It’s incredible to be here and be on staff with FCA, encouraging coaches at the high school level,” Davis said. “It’s gone full circle.”
Davis now runs huddles in Riverton and Lander.
“I’d met Mark Lenhardt (Riverton Head Football Coach), I went fishing with a buddy that was a guide. He introduced me to Mark. Mark and I talked for about a half hour or so, he’d just left Torrington and was headed to Rock Springs. Mark was involved with FCA in Rock Springs,” Davis said. “
In the spring of 2023, he started a huddle in Riverton with Derek Watson, Matt Coughanour, Brant Nyberg, Beau Sheets, and several other coaches.
“I asked them if they’d be interested in a coach’s bible study. They said we’d love to do that and started an 8-week class,” Davis said. “We met at 6:30 on Friday mornings. We continued that last year.”
Another Fremont County connection came through former state FCA Director and longtime Dubois High School coach Ernie Mecca.
“Ernie started with FCA. He now works with Coaches’ Outreach. It’s a Texas group. Tommy Maxwell, who played at A&M then for the Baltimore Colts started it,” Davis said. “He felt God was calling him out of football and into ministry. Ernie was connected with him.”
Coaches’ Outreach is a resource for Davis and other huddles across the nation.
“Coaches’ Outreach supplies our study every semester. They have a guy that writes good bible studies with the emphasis on coaches. They’re awesome 12-week studies,” Davis said. “This will be the second year I’ve used those resources.”
In Lander, Eric Watson and one of his assistant coaches worked for the USDA before he took an ag teaching position at the high school.
“That opened a door for me to work in Lander,” Davis said. “Six and possibly more committed in Lander. I’m going over there on Tuesdays.”
Coaches’ Outreach does marriage retreats. They have about 12 different coaches’ marriage retreats. FCA is starting to do that as well.
The stresses and time requirements of coaching are harmful to marriages, with many ending in divorce.
“FCA’s focus used to be just about athletics, but now they’re bringing in the coach much more. The goal is to reach as many coaches and athletes as we can to tell them about Jesus Christ,” Davis said. “If the coaches are changed by the bible and by the gospel, then they’re going to change how they coach. With coaches, the big thing is that coaching is so transactional. What can the athlete deliver, how can we win. There is a bigger scope to life than high school football. If we can give them a bigger look of how it is to live as a follower of Jesus, that’s the impact.”
Davis has noticed the impact that FCA has had on the lives of young men and women.
“Teaching kids those values, work ethic and integrity outside of sports. I’ve noticed in the bible studies that they work to take out being transactional and becoming transformational,” he said.
Many standout Riverton athletes have been active in FCA and continue in the organization at college.
“Parker Paxton has been very involved with FCA at CU,” Davis said. “When Ryan Cox spoke at his CWC graduation glorifying God, it was special.”
Another Wolverine, Hunter Saltsgaver, said, “We have faith, and whatever the outcome is, that’s what it was meant to be.”
“It takes a lot of weight off your shoulders. One of my coaches says work hard, trust God,” Davis said. ”In life we don’t win most of the time.”
Davis is a familiar face on the sidelines at Wolverine football games and assisted Lenhardt with throwers last season at the track.
“Riverton was great to me growing up, and I’m blessed to be back here,” he said.