In January 2006 Burnley first team coach Mark Yates was offered the managers job at Conference side Kidderminster Harriers. This meant a step up for Steve Davis, who came in as a direct replacement for Yates, taking up the roles of first team coach and reserve team manager. The move was greeted with great support from Burnley fans, as Davis was still held in very high regard at Turf Moor. Davis shared the supporters' sentiment, quoting "This has to be top of my list for football memories. Burnley is my club and everyone knows what it means to me." Davis' quick rise would continue in November 2007 when he was moved up a rank once again by Cotterill, replacing the outgoing Dave Kevan (who had moved to a similar role at Notts County) as assistant manager. This role lasted just a matter of days, before he was promoted up to caretaker-manager upon the sacking of Cotterill. His first job was to take the team to Leicester City for a Football League Championship match. An early Andy Gray goal gave him a 1–0 win, in what he described as one of the proudest moments of his career. He was a candidate to replace Cotterill full-time as Burnley manager but in the end the board went for Scottish rookie Owen Coyle, however Davis would remain on the staff in his former role as first-team coach. Under Coyle's stewardship Burnley won promotion to the Premier League.