Al Davis
Head Coach & Managing General Partner · Oakland Raiders
Distinguished Achievement · Raiders Architect
Al Davis
First as head coach and then as managing general partner, Al Davis built the Oakland Raiders into one of professional football's most successful and most feared franchises.
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Super Bowl Appearances
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Super Bowl Championships
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Division Titles in the Franchise's First 40 Years
The Backstory
Building a Football Powerhouse
From the Sideline to the Front Office
Took the Raiders from coach to managing general partner, shaping the franchise's direction for decades.
A Signature Style
Built teams around a strong-armed quarterback, a powerful offensive line, and man-to-man defense, giving the Raiders a physical, intimidating identity.
Five Super Bowls, Three Titles
Oversaw five Super Bowl appearances and three championships within an eight-year stretch beginning in 1976, part of a 40-year run with only seven losing seasons, 12 division titles, and 12 conference championship appearances.
Breaking Down Barriers
Hired the first African-American head coach in the modern NFL and the first female chief executive of an NFL franchise, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.
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See Al Davis in Action
1976 → 1992
Career Timeline
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1976–1984
Three Super Bowl championships
Won three Super Bowl titles within an eight-year window.
On the Field & Off
Five Super Bowl trips, three championships, and four decades of winning football.
5 Super Bowl appearances — Under Davis's leadership
3 Super Bowl championships — Won within an eight-year span starting in 1976
Only 7 losing seasons — Across the franchise's first 40 years
12 division championships — First 40 years of the franchise
12 conference championship games — First 40 years of the franchise
Physical, intimidating identity — Built on a strong-armed QB, powerful O-line, and man-to-man defense
Every award, on the record
Honors & Awards
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Enshrined for building the Raiders into one of professional football's most successful franchises.
Three Super Bowl Championships
Won three Super Bowl titles within an eight-year period.
NFL Hiring Pioneer
Hired the first African-American head coach and the first female chief executive in the modern NFL.
More To Know
Deeper Cuts on Al Davis
He was born in Brockton, Massachusetts on July 4, 1929, and died on October 8, 2011, at age 82.
Before building the Raiders' front office, he served an unusually brief stint as AFL Commissioner in 1966 — just 111 days on the job.
As the Raiders' head coach from 1963-65 he went 23-16-3 and was named AFL Coach of the Year in 1963.
He bought into the franchise for just $18,000 in 1966 and didn't become majority owner outright until 2005.
His famous rallying cry, 'Just win, baby,' became shorthand for the entire organization's identity.
He engineered the trade sending Ken Stabler to Houston for Dan Pastorini in 1980, only for Jim Plunkett to lead the Raiders to a Super Bowl XV title that same season, and later benched Super Bowl XVIII MVP Marcus Allen for two years amid a contract dispute.
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