Glenn Davis is the lead play-by-play announcer for local TV broadcasts of Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo and a rotation national announcer for ESPN. Davis hosts the Dynamo’s weekly radio show “Dynamo All-Access” (Wednesdays 7-9 p.m. on Yahoo! Sports Radio 1560 AM), a post-game show after home games titled “Dynamo All-Access Postgame Show” (airs immediately after Houston Dynamo home game broadcasts on YSR 1560) and his independent show titled “Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis” (Tuesdays 7-9 p.m. on ESPN 97.5 FM).
Glenn, who started his journalism career in 1994, is considered one of America’s top soccer broadcasters. His résumé includes calling World Cup matches for ESPN, the Olympics for NBC, and MLS matches on several national and local channels. Additionally, he has called professional women’s soccer matches and men and women’s collegiate soccer.
A professional soccer player in the 1980s, Glenn has also coached youth soccer and works as a consultant and spokesperson. His charitable work includes his annual youth soccer camp titled “Kick Cancer” that features former and current soccer players as coaches to raise money for pediatric cancer research.
Glenn’s Soccer Background
Growing up in the soccer rich state of New Jersey, Glenn Davis found his early soccer influences in a variety of places.
Davis credits his Scottish youth coach Tom MacDonald for instilling the passion and excitement of the sport of soccer into his blood. MacDonald also made it very clear that the ability to control, pass, and shoot were essentials to build off at a young age. Youth games were defined not only by wins and losses but also by overall performance and quality of play.
Another influence was his older brother Conn who was an All-American goalkeeper at NAIA power Davis and Elkins College in West Virginia . He was drafted in the North American Soccer League by the Washington Diplomats after being scouted by former Manchester United legend Dennis Viollet, then an assistant at the Diplomats. After signing he destroyed his knee playing indoor soccer, ending his career, yet still served as an inspiration to his younger brother.
The New York Cosmos proved to be another huge influence with Davis regularly watching such stars as Pele, Giorgio Chinalgia, Franz Beckenbauer, and Vladislav Bogicevic at Giants Stadium in front of record breaking crowds.
Davis would go on to attend both Boston University and Davis and Elkins College where he would earn NAIA All-American honors and captained the team to the NAIA National Championships.
Upon graduation Davis played professionally as a central defender for the Pennsylvania Stoners (American Soccer League), Houston Dynamos (United Soccer League), Columbus Capitals (American Indoor Soccer Association), and the Albany Capitals (ASL). He also played for the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers against UNAM Pumas and Alianza of El Salvador in the Marlboro Cup where his team finished third.
In his rookie year Davis partnered in defense with English veteran Peter Carr to help Pennsylvania to the ASL finals where they fell to the Jacksonville Tea Men 1-0 in a decisive game three. Davis scored and earned Defensive Player of the Game honors in game 1.
With Houston the Dynamos advanced to the league championship in 1984, only to lose in the shootout to the Ft. Lauderdale Sun whose squad included former England captain Dave Watson, Scottish international Asa Hartford, and Leicester City star Keith Weller.
Davis earned All-League honors and the following year captained the team in international competition against teams like Sheffield United, Linfield , Glentoran, and FAS. He also has played against Olympiakos (Greece), Middlesbrough (England) and the U.S. National team whom the Dynamo defeated 1-0.
Upon retirement Davis began his coaching career and helped to originate the Houston Hurricanes Youth Soccer Club that became nationally recognized competing around the country and internationally. The club produced many future college players as well as MLS professionals including Josh Gardner (LA Galaxy), Willis Forko (Real Salt Lake), Sam Forko (Metrostars), Chris Gbandi (FC Dallas), and Alex Woods (FC Dallas). More importantly many ex-players have remained in the game coaching such as Chris Garcia-Prats (Trinity) and Chad Riley (assistant Notre Dame) to name just a few.
Davis helped create cooperative exchange programs with Atlas in Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico. Hurricane players trained and competed in Mexico living with Mexcian families while the Hurricane families reciprocated. His youth teams in Mexico have played pre-liminary games to Mexican league games in front of over 30,000 fans.
He has also worked with youth organizations and clubs on a consulting basis helping to strategize and implement new programs and policies.
He was the first to enter his top youth players in adult league competition in the Houston Football Association testing his top players against men under different conditions and accelerating player development.
Glenn’s Broadcast Career
Glenn is a nationally recognized broadcaster, writer, and radio host. He currently is a play by play announcer for ESPN, calling the last two World Cups for ESPN, the MLS game of the week for HDNET, and hosts the ‘US Youth Soccer Show’ for Fox Soccer Channel.
Capable of doing both color and play by play Davis has called some of the most prestigious leagues and games. In addition to the World Cup he has called games for the Italian Serie ‘A’, Mexican League, Gold Cup, Italian Cup Final, UEFA Cup, Champions League, World Cup qualifiers, Concacaf Champions Cup, Barcelona tour, U.S. National men and womens games and the NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 national championships. He has called games internationally in Central American and Mexico.
Davis also hosts the popular ‘Soccer Hour with Glenn Davis’ on 790 AM radio in Houston, Texas. Previously his show ran on public radio at 90.1 KPFT radio for 3 years.
His popular columns in the Houston Chronicle have helped grow awareness of the sport in one of America’s great soccer cities.
He recently received a Lifetime Achievment award at Davis and Elkins College in West Virginia for his dedication and service to soccer at all levels. He was nominated by former U.S. Soccer President Hank Steinbrecher also an alumnus.