Davis had a record of success wherever he had landed. Following a college career at defensive end at Arkansas, and a brief career coaching high school teams, Davis started a 15-year association with Jimmy Johnson as an receivers and tight ends coach at Oklahoma State. Davis continued to work for Johnson at the University of Miami(where he coached the defense of the 1987 national championship team) and six seasons at Dallas (where he coached the defensive line and served as defensive coordinator for the Cowboys Super Bowl teams). At Dallas, Davis helped Johnson and new owner Jerry Jones construct a Super Bowl champion out of a team that went 1-15 in Johnson's first year. Davis also served as coach under Barry Switzer after Johnson left.

Davis got his first opportunity to serve as a head coach at the University of Miami, where again he helped lead a stunning turnaround. When he arrived, the Hurricanes program was in disarray, with 31 scholarship spots eliminated due to NCAA sanctions. Despite this, Davis managed to turn the program around, posting a 51-20 record during his tenure. By his last year, Davis had the Hurricanes contending for a national championship as they finished 11-1 and #2 in the country. The team Davis left behind soared to the national championship the succeeding year.

Clearly, Davis has the resume which says that he will be a success in the NFL. In his first year, he took the Browns (who were 5-27 during their first two seasons) to a 7-9 record. Davis was credited with helping to turn the team around, and get them poised for future success. Now Davis will face even greater challenges, as he attempts to navigate the Browns to the playoffs in full view of a demanding front office and fan base.