Joe Davis

Joe Davis, a graduate of Southwestern University of Memphis, was Clemson Football Coach Jess Neely's chief football aide, from 1931, and served for nine seasons as Clemson's eleventh basketball coach, 1931-1940.

For 36 consecutive years, Davis and Neely were one of the most critically acclaimed coaching tandems in college football, nine years at Clemson, and 27 seasons at Rice University.

Davis compiled a 101-86 record in nine seasons as basketball coach. He left Clemson as the school's all-time winningest basketball coach and is still (in 2009) third in Clemson history in victories. Davis still has the best winning percentage in road games in Clemson history, as his 44-52 road mark was a 46 percent winning mark.

His best basketball season was the 1934-1935 team that finished with a 15-3 record overall for a .833 percent, an all-time Clemson record.

At Rice, he coached basketball for six seasons and won or shared three consecutive Southwest Conference championships in 1943-1945, then added another tri-championship in 1949. The 1945 Rice team, led by two-time All-American Bill Henry, finished with a 20-1 record and is generally recognized as one of Rice's greatest teams ever.

Preceded by: Josh Cody

Clemson University Basketball Coaches

Succeeded by: Rock Norman