David Harris Conaway

Background

Harris Conaway, David was born on May 26, 1958 in Augusta, Georgia, United States.

Education

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Bachelor of Arts, 1979). University of Alabama (Juris Doctor, 1982).

Career

Bailiff played for three years as an offensive lineman and tight end for coach Jim Wacker at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. As a senior in 1980, he was team captain. After graduating in 1981, Bailiff's first coaching job was in the high school ranks in New Braunfels, Texas.

After three years coaching the defensive line at New Braunfels High, he left coaching and entered the private sector for four years. He returned to coaching in 1988 as a graduate assistant at Southwest Texas and was promoted the next year to a full-time position that he held until he was hired to coach the defensive line at the University of New Mexico by Lobos' head coach Dennis Franchione. In 1997, Bailiff returned to Southwest Texas as the defensive coordinator.

In 2001, he was hired to serve in the same role at TCU by coach Gary Patterson. Following the 2002 season, in which the Horned Frogs' defense, led by All-American linebacker LaMarcus McDonald, ranked 2nd in the nation, Bailiff was named the nation's Top Assistant Coach by the All American Football Foundation. On February 5, 2004, Bailiff again returned to his alma mater, which by now was known as Texas State University-San Marcos, this time as head coach.

In his first season as the Bobcats' head coach, he guided them to a 5–6 record. In 2005, they finished the regular season 9-2 and were Southland Conference Champions. In 2006, the Bobcats' were again 5–6.

On January 19, 2007 Rice University hired Bailiff as head coach, replacing Todd Graham. In 2008, he led Rice to a 9-3 record and an appearance in the 2008 Texas Bowl—only their second bowl appearance in 47 years. In 2014, Bailiff led the Owls to a third consecutive bowl game as Rice defeated Fresno State 30-3 in the Hawai'i Bowl.

Achievements

• They then won two games in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, eventually losing to Northern Iowa. The Owls won that game 38-14 for Rice's first 10-win season since 1949, and Bailiff was rewarded with a five-year contract extension. In 2012, Rice returned to bowl action with a win over Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl.
  
  The following season, Bailiff became the first coach in Rice history to record two, 10-win seasons as Rice won its first outright conference championship since 1957 by defeating Marshall 41-24 and earning a berth in the Liberty Bowl.

Membership

Member: North Carolina and American (Vice Chairman, Corporation, Business and Banking Law Committee, Young Lawyers Division, 1984-1985) Bar Associations. North Carolina State Bar. American Bankruptcy Institute.