Dr. James D. Daniels

Coker Hall of Fame Inductee- Oct. 5, 2008

Dr. James D. Daniels served as Coker College’s President from 1981 to 2002. During his tenure, the College experienced a remarkable era of growth and success: enrollment increased more than 200%; the number of full-time faculty doubled; and the endowment quadrupled.

It was during his presidency that the College adopted the round table teaching style that has become a cornerstone of a Coker College education. An avid sports enthusiast and a former coach and referee, Dr. Daniels fostered the growth of athletics at Coker. While he was President of the College, Coker Athletics grew to the 12 men’s and women’s sports it is today. He also guided the Cobras to membership in the Carolinas Intercollegiate Athletics Conference and later the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference. He played a major role in conference leadership, including the move of the Cobras and fellow conference members to NCAA Division II affiliation.

For more than two decades, Dr. Daniels was one of the Cobras’ biggest fans and was frequently seen at games cheering-on Coker’s student-athletes. Dr. Daniels passed away in June 2007, but his positive impact on the College as a whole and Coker Athletics specifically, lives on.