Photo by: Sam Hyman/Davidson Athletics
11/13/2026 11:24:00 AM | General
Having done 43 years' worth of laundry at Davidson, Will DuBose has finally hung it up.
Well, let's clarify that a little — DuBose has retired. The buzzer has sounded on his career. Everything is folded and put away.
(Editor's note: Our apologies. These puns and terms are likely to be an ongoing theme here. Writing's a delicate cycle, especially when it's about a man who is woven into the fabric of a place. Don't throw in the towel just yet).
Set to turn 66 in December, DuBose has been working at Davidson since Aug. 6, 1983, and he rinsed and repeated that all the way to Oct. 31, 2026. He estimates he's done 25 to 30 loads of laundry … per day as an assistant equipment manager. That's a lot of socks, loops and jerseys, folks.
Why did he stick around so long?
"I just love the people and the atmosphere," he said. "It's a great place."
DuBose's quiet, steady impact at Davidson is difficult to quantify. It's not measurable in wins and losses or even detergent cups or calendars, and it isn't always noticeable. He's never belted a home run or scored a touchdown in front of a roaring crowd, but he's diligently done his job, making the worn new again so Wildcats can compete daily, and he's done it from basketball's short-shorts era through the baggy years and after. Most synonymous with the Davidson baseball team, he's beloved by umpires.
Along the way, he's proven to be reliable and dependable, permanent even. He's gentle and warm, exactly what you'd hope for in a neighbor. He's been both an early riser and a night owl, and he's always shown up with an eager bounce in his step and a smile on his face.
"Will puts his heart out there in everything he does and to everyone he knows, and you can count on it every single day," said his brother, Richard DuBose '84, who attended Will's retirement ceremony on Oct. 29, alongside their father, Bill DuBose '50.
(For more on the DuBoses, check out this Davidson Journal article from 2025).
So what's next? What's on Will DuBose's laundry list now that he's officially retired and the routine is, too?
"Relax," he said, with a chuckle and a wide, wrinkled smile. "And get a dog, maybe a Cavachon, and go to Montreat," where the family has property in the North Carolina mountains.
DuBose plans to be on campus quite often, too, supporting the teams and people he loves at a place he cherishes. Like always, he'll know which teams are doing what, where they're headed and how they fare. He'll stay in the loop.
He's just done washing them.
Well, let's clarify that a little — DuBose has retired. The buzzer has sounded on his career. Everything is folded and put away.
(Editor's note: Our apologies. These puns and terms are likely to be an ongoing theme here. Writing's a delicate cycle, especially when it's about a man who is woven into the fabric of a place. Don't throw in the towel just yet).
Set to turn 66 in December, DuBose has been working at Davidson since Aug. 6, 1983, and he rinsed and repeated that all the way to Oct. 31, 2026. He estimates he's done 25 to 30 loads of laundry … per day as an assistant equipment manager. That's a lot of socks, loops and jerseys, folks.
Why did he stick around so long?
"I just love the people and the atmosphere," he said. "It's a great place."
DuBose's quiet, steady impact at Davidson is difficult to quantify. It's not measurable in wins and losses or even detergent cups or calendars, and it isn't always noticeable. He's never belted a home run or scored a touchdown in front of a roaring crowd, but he's diligently done his job, making the worn new again so Wildcats can compete daily, and he's done it from basketball's short-shorts era through the baggy years and after. Most synonymous with the Davidson baseball team, he's beloved by umpires.
Along the way, he's proven to be reliable and dependable, permanent even. He's gentle and warm, exactly what you'd hope for in a neighbor. He's been both an early riser and a night owl, and he's always shown up with an eager bounce in his step and a smile on his face.
"Will puts his heart out there in everything he does and to everyone he knows, and you can count on it every single day," said his brother, Richard DuBose '84, who attended Will's retirement ceremony on Oct. 29, alongside their father, Bill DuBose '50.
(For more on the DuBoses, check out this Davidson Journal article from 2025).
So what's next? What's on Will DuBose's laundry list now that he's officially retired and the routine is, too?
"Relax," he said, with a chuckle and a wide, wrinkled smile. "And get a dog, maybe a Cavachon, and go to Montreat," where the family has property in the North Carolina mountains.
DuBose plans to be on campus quite often, too, supporting the teams and people he loves at a place he cherishes. Like always, he'll know which teams are doing what, where they're headed and how they fare. He'll stay in the loop.
He's just done washing them.
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