View source for Al Davis

{{Short description|American football coach and executive (1929–2011)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name               = Al Davis
| image              = Al Davis.jpg
| alt                = Davis wearing a dark suit and tie and sneering from behind a desk
| caption            = Davis {{circa|1970|lk=no}}
| position           =
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1929|7|4|mf=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Brockton, Massachusetts]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2011|10|8|1929|7|4|mf=y}}
| death_place        = [[Oakland, California]], U.S.
| high_school        = [[Erasmus Hall High School|Erasmus Hall]]<br/>([[Brooklyn|Brooklyn, New York]])
| college            = [[Wittenberg University]] 
[[Syracuse University|Syracuse]]
| pastcoaching       = * [[Adelphi University|Adelphi]] (1950–1951) <br> Offensive line coach
* [[Fort Belvoir]] (1953) <br> Head coach
* [[Baltimore Colts]] (1954) <br> Scout
* [[The Citadel Bulldogs football|The Citadel]] (1955–1956) <br> Offensive line coach
* [[USC Trojans football|USC]] (1957–1959) <br> Offensive line coach
* [[Los Angeles Chargers|Los Angeles]]/[[History of the San Diego Chargers|San Diego Chargers]] ([[1960 AFL season|1960]]–[[1962 AFL season|1962]]) <br> Wide receivers coach
* [[Oakland Raiders]] ([[1963 AFL season|1963]]–[[1965 AFL season|1965]]) <br> Head coach
| pastexecutive      = * [[American Football League]] ([[1966 AFL season|1966]]) <br> Commissioner
* [[Oakland Raiders]] ([[1966 AFL season|1966]]–{{NFL Year|1971}}) <br> Part owner & general manager
* [[Los Angeles Raiders|Los Angeles]]/[[Oakland Raiders]] ({{NFL Year|1972}}–{{NFL Year|2011}}) <br> Principal owner & general manager
| highlights         = * 3× [[Super Bowl]] champion ([[Super Bowl XI|XI]], [[Super Bowl XV|XV]], [[Super Bowl XVIII|XVIII]])
* 2× [[Sporting News NFL Executive of the Year Award|NFL Executive of the Year]] (1976, 2002)
* [[National Football League Coach of the Year Award#AP AFL Coach of the Year|AFL Coach of the Year]] (1963)
| coachregrecord     = {{winning percentage|23|16|3|record=y}}
| coachplayoffrecord = <!-- {{winning percentage|0|0|record=y}} -->
| coachrecord        = <!-- {{winning percentage|23|16|3|record=y}} -->
| pfrcoach           = DaviAl0
| HOF                = al-davis
| pfrexec            = DaviAl0 
}}

'''Allen R. Davis''' (July 4, 1929 – October 8, 2011) was an American professional [[American football|football]] executive and coach. He was the managing general partner, principal owner and ''de facto'' general manager<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-10-08  |title=Al Davis, Hall of Fame owner of Raiders, dies at age 82 |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/al-davis-hall-of-fame-owner-of-raiders-dies-at-age-82-09000d5d822ed9f9 |access-date=August 6, 2023 |website=NFL.com}}</ref> of the [[National Football League]] (NFL) [[Oakland Raiders]] for 39 years, from 1972 until his death in 2011. Prior to becoming principal owner of the Raiders, he served as the team's head coach from 1963 to 1965 and part owner from 1966 to 1971, assuming both positions while the Raiders were part of the [[American Football League]] (AFL). He served as AFL commissioner in 1966.

Known for his motto "Just win, baby",<ref name=nflmourns /> Davis managed the Raiders becoming one of the NFL's most successful and popular teams. The franchise enjoyed their greatest successes during the 1970s and 1980s where they were perennial playoff contenders and won three [[Super Bowl]] titles. He was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1992.

Davis was active in [[civil rights]], refusing to allow the Raiders to play in any city where black and white players had to stay in separate hotels.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Inman |first=Cam |date=2020-09-10 |title=Al Davis' diversity legacy: Of Silver & Black, and the full rainbow |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/09/10/al-davis-diversity-legacy-of-silver-black-and-the-full-rainbow |access-date=2022-03-18 |website=The Mercury News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Elman |first=Jake |date=2021-02-02 |title=Late Raiders Owner Al Davis Fought Segregation Laws as Fiercely as He Did the NFL |url=https://www.sportscasting.com/late-raiders-owner-al-davis-fought-segregation-laws-as-fiercely-as-he-did-the-nfl/ |access-date=2022-03-18 |website=Sportscasting {{!}} Pure Sports |language=en-US |archive-date=March 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320151912/https://www.sportscasting.com/late-raiders-owner-al-davis-fought-segregation-laws-as-fiercely-as-he-did-the-nfl/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hall of Famer Al Davis went the extra yard for social justice {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2020/08/hall-of-famer-al-davis-went-the-extra-yard-for-social-justice/ |access-date=2022-03-18 |website=pfhof |language=en}}</ref> He was the first NFL owner in the modern era to hire a black head coach ([[Art Shell]]),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frank |first=Vincent |title=Al Davis: Art Shell and 5 NFL Coaches Who Owe Most to Oakland Raiders Owner |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/884564-al-davis-art-shell-and-five-nfl-coaches-who-owe-most-to-oakland-raiders-owner |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Davenport |first=Gary |title=Al Davis: Hiring Art Shell Paved the Way for Diversity in the NFL |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/884467-al-davis-hiring-art-shell-paved-the-way-for-diversity-in-the-nfl |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}}</ref> the first to hire a female chief executive ([[Amy Trask]]),<ref>{{Cite web |last=RaiderusMax |title=Amy Trask of the Oakland Raiders: The Toughest and 1st Female CEO in the NFL |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/729025-the-toughest-and-first-female-ceo-in-the-nfl-oakland-raiders-amy-trask |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}}</ref> and the first NFL owner to hire a [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Latino]] head coach ([[Tom Flores]]).<ref>{{cite web | last=Shaw | first=A.R. | title=Oakland Raiders Owner Al Davis Dies, Hired First Black and Latino Coaches in the NFL | website=Rolling Out | date=2011-10-08 | url=https://rollingout.com/2011/10/08/oakland-raiders-owner-al-davis-dies-hired-first-black-and-latino-coaches-in-the-nfl/ | access-date=2024-07-22}}</ref> He remains the only person to have served as a scout, assistant general manager, general manager, assistant coach, a head coach, a commissioner (of a league), and an owner of a team.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Maddie |title=The impact of one man on America and professional football, the story of Al Davis |url=https://footballscoop.com/news/the-impact-of-one-man-on-america-and-professional-football-the-story-of-al-davis |access-date=2022-03-18 |website=Footballscoop |date=October 21, 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schalter |first=Ty |title=Al Davis Death: Oakland Raiders Owner Championed Diversity in the NFL |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/885003-al-davis-death-oakland-raiders-owner-championed-diversity-in-the-nfl |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hall of Famer Al Davis went the extra yard for social justice {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2020/08/hall-of-famer-al-davis-went-the-extra-yard-for-social-justice/ |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=pfhof |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://kdus1060.com/jim-gray-on-the-dan-patrick-show-full-interview-06-20-25|title=Jim Gray on the Dan Patrick Show Full Interview (6-20-25)|last=Gray|first=Jim|date=June 20, 2025|accessdate=June 20, 2025}}</ref>
== Early life ==
Davis was born in [[Brockton, Massachusetts]], to a [[Jews|Jewish]] family.  Davis' father, Louis Davis, worked in a variety of trades in Massachusetts; having found some success in the garment manufacturing field, he moved to [[Brooklyn, New York]], in 1934 with his wife, Rose, and their two sons, Jerry and Allen. Louis Davis rented a sixth-floor walkup for his family off Utica Avenue, became very successful in the garment trade, and put his two sons through college before seeking a more comfortable home in [[Atlantic Beach, New York]]. Although there are a number of stories of Louis Davis backing his younger son in anything so long as the boy did not get caught or back down from a confrontation, most of these stories derive from Al Davis. Childhood friends depicted him as more of a talker than a fighter, although very good with his mouth. Young Al's sport of choice was basketball, and he gained a reputation of a hard player, if not the most skillful. As a boy, he was determined to play for Coach Al Badain at [[Erasmus Hall High School]], passing up the opportunity to attend school closer to his house. Although he was only a reserve on the Erasmus team, and did not play much, Davis studied Badain's coaching techniques, and felt he learned much from him. In the 1980s, with Badain ill and in need, Davis brought his elderly former coach to the West Coast to witness his Raiders in the Super Bowl, and paid the man's debts.{{sfn|Ribowsky|1991|pp=15–24}}

Despite Davis's slight role on his high school team, Raiders media guides later published descriptions of Davis which depicted him as a schoolboy star, only to have the claims scaled back—slightly—in future editions after reporters investigated the matter. His lack of football playing experience (he did play football for his high school fraternity) made him one of the few to be a head coach in the NFL or AFL despite never having played even for the high school varsity.{{sfn|Dickey|p=3}}{{sfn|Simmons|pp=12–13}}

Davis graduated from high school in January 1947, immediately enrolling at [[Wittenberg University|Wittenberg College]] in Springfield, Ohio at age 17. The school had recruited Davis, although it did not extend him a [[Athletic scholarship|scholarship]]. He spent a semester there, occupying himself with baseball and plans to transfer to a higher-profile school. In mid-1947, he transferred to [[Syracuse University]]. Although Davis repeatedly tried out for the various varsity teams, the height of his athletic career at Syracuse was warming the bench for the junior varsity baseball team. Frustrated by this, he briefly transferred to [[Hartwick College]], also in New York State, in 1948, but soon returned to Syracuse.  Despite Davis's lack of athletic success, he commonly mingled with varsity athletes, many of whom assumed he was also one but on another team.{{sfn|Ribowsky|1991|pp=27–31}} Unsuccessful in his efforts to join the men's basketball team, Davis became interested in football strategy, and haunted the football team's practices until asked to leave by the head coach, suspicious of Davis for taking notes. Davis also took the academic courses in football strategy given by the assistant coaches, and ordinarily attended only by players.{{sfn|Ribowsky|1991|pp=34–35}}

==Early coaching career==
===College coach===
While job hunting, he introduced himself as "Davis from Syracuse", likely intentionally to conflate with George Davis, star halfback for the school's football team. Turned down at [[Hofstra Pride football|Hofstra University]] and by Bill Altenberg, athletic director at [[Adelphi University]] (both on [[Long Island]]), he approached Adelphi's president. What went on between the two men is not known; his biographer Mark Ribowsky suggests Davis used a combination of "bluff and con," but a half hour after Altenberg dismissed Davis from his office, he received a call from the president that he had a new freshman football coach.{{sfn|Ribowsky|1991|pp=11–13}}

===Military service===
In 1952, with his student deferral ended upon receipt of his master's degree, Davis was inducted into the United States Army. He quickly secured a place attached to a public relations unit near Syracuse, and set about obtaining a place on one of the coaching staff for the military's football teams. General Stanley Scott of [[Fort Belvoir]], [[Virginia]], obtained Davis's services in 1953 as football coach for his post's football squad. At the time, military football was taken very seriously; the teams were well-stocked with drafted college stars, and often scrimmaged National Football League teams. Davis coached Fort Belvoir, just south of Washington, D.C., to a record of eight wins, two losses, and one tie (8–2–1), missing a chance to play in the [[Poinsettia Bowl]] in San Diego because of a final-game loss to the nearby [[Quantico Marine Base]]. As a private first class, he was often coaching players of a higher rank, including officers.<ref>Toppmeyer, Blake. [https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/football/2019/04/23/tennessee-football-jim-haslam-pilot-al-davis-raiders-fort-belvoir-ut-vols/3512895002/ "How former Tennessee Vols lineman Jim Haslam came to play football for Al Davis on a military base"], ''[[Knoxnews.com]]'', April 23, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2021.</ref> Near the end of 1952, he was called to testify before a congressional committee investigating whether athletes were being coddled in the military. Although most of Davis's team was sent to [[Korean War|Korea]], he remained at Fort Belvoir until his discharge in 1954.{{sfn|Ribowsky|1991|pp=41–54}}{{sfn|Richmond|2010|p=41}} While coaching in the army, Davis sold scouting information about his players to NFL teams.{{sfn|Simmons|pp=14–15}} One NFL executive who contacted Davis was [[Pete Rozelle]] of the [[Los Angeles Rams]], but as Rozelle had been allocated no money, Davis gave him no information.{{sfn|Dickey|p=4}}

===Scouting and return to college coaching===
After military service, Davis married his [[Engagement|fiancée]], Carol Sagal, in a Brooklyn synagogue; the couple established a first home in Atlantic Beach, near Al Davis's parents. Davis worked for a year as a freelance scout for the [[History of the Baltimore Colts|Baltimore Colts]] of the NFL. He had considerable knowledge of the players he had had on his roster or coached against, and advised the Colts which players to offer contracts to or [[NFL Draft|draft]] as they returned to civilian life.  Davis cultivated the Colts' head coach, [[Weeb Ewbank]], hoping Ewbank's connections would lead to a coaching job for Davis, and these efforts paid off in January 1955, when Davis was hired by [[The Citadel Bulldogs football|The Citadel]] in [[South Carolina]] as an assistant to first-year head coach [[John Sauer]].  In contrast to the glory won by its alumni in war, the South Carolina military academy's football team had lost every game the previous season, and previous head coach [[John D. McMillan|John McMillan]] was dismissed after two seasons. Davis stated, in his interview, that he would be able to persuade small-town boys from the Northeast to attend The Citadel, which often had difficulty in recruiting star players because of its regimented lifestyle. He was successful in his recruiting, although not all remained past the first training camp, at [[Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island|Parris Island]] [[United States Marine Corps|Marine]] base.{{sfn|Ribowsky|1991|pp=58–64}}

During games, Davis was stationed in the [[press box]], calling plays which were generally run by Sauer without modification. The Citadel unexpectedly began the season by winning five of its first six games, although it lost the next three to end the season 5–4. Davis received much credit for his role in The Citadel's success, although losing Sauer's regard through too-aggressive self-promotion. The 1956 season was less successful, as the team finished 3–5–1. Sauer resigned at the end of the season; Davis unsuccessfully sought the head coaching position and then resigned; Ribowsky records that there were allegations of payments and other benefits to players in violation of [[NCAA]] rules; he also states that Davis pressured professors to change grades to keep student-athletes eligible to play football. By the time he left The Citadel, Davis had already arranged his next job, at the [[USC Trojans football|University of Southern California]] (USC) in Los Angeles.{{sfn|Ribowsky|1991|pp=65–76}}

Davis was an effective recruiter as a USC assistant coach, bringing one prospect, [[Angelo Coia]] to the [[Los Angeles Coliseum]] at night, and as the lights were slowly turned off, asked the student to imagine himself playing there before 100,000 people. Coia played for USC and later worked for the Raider front office.{{sfn|Dickey|p=4}} When Davis arrived, USC was on NCAA probation for allowing alumni to surreptitiously give money to players, and had not been permitted to play in a bowl game after the 1956 season; these sanctions hampered Davis's first two seasons at USC, 1957 and 1958, during which the team posted a combined 5-14-1 record. The head coach, [[Don Clark (American football)|Don Clark]], came to rely heavily on Davis. Clark and Davis hoped that 1959 would bring a conference championship and the chance to play in the [[Rose Bowl (game)|Rose Bowl]], but in April 1959 USC was sanctioned by the NCAA again, this time for inducing recruits signed by other schools into breaking their letters of intent.  Not allowed to play on television, USC won its first eight games before losing to [[UCLA Bruins football|UCLA]] and [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]]. Despite the defeats, the team was [[Pacific Coast Conference]] champions, but because of the sanctions could not play in the Rose Bowl. Clark resigned after the season; although Davis put in for the position, it went to another assistant, [[John McKay (American football)|John McKay]], who did not keep Davis on his staff.{{sfn|Ribowsky|1991|pp=76–92}}

===Chargers assistant===
Davis had met Los Angeles Rams coach [[Sid Gillman]] in Atlantic City at a coaching clinic; the NFL coach had been impressed that Davis had sat in the front row, taken copious notes, and had asked many questions afterwards.  Gillman was fired after the 1959 season, but was quickly hired by the [[Los Angeles Chargers]] of the startup [[American Football League]] (AFL) for their debut 1960 season.  He hired Davis as backfield coach on a coaching staff which included future [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|hall of famer]] [[Chuck Noll]] as well as future AFL head coach and NFL general manager [[Jack Faulkner]].  Gillman later said that he hired Davis for his success both as a coach and as a recruiter, and because "Al had that knack of telling people what they wanted to hear.  He was very persuasive."{{sfn|Dickey|p=5}}{{sfn|Simmons|p=18}}

The AFL's rules were crafted to encourage wide-open, high-scoring football. In later years, much to Gillman's anger, Davis hinted that he had designed the Chargers' offense, or at least deserved partial credit.{{sfn|Ribowsky|1991|pp=95–97}}  The team initially proved successful, winning the [[AFL West]]ern Division in 1960 and 1961, although losing each time in the [[AFL Championship Game]] to the [[Houston Oilers]].{{sfn|Simmons|pp=18–21}}

One player whom Davis recommended to the Chargers, and then secured, was wide receiver [[Lance Alworth]] of [[Arkansas Razorbacks football|Arkansas]], who was a first-round selection of NFL [[1962 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]] in the [[1962 NFL draft]].  Unwilling to give the 49ers a chance to sign him, Davis raced onto the field at the conclusion of Alworth's [[1962 Sugar Bowl|final college game]] and signed him to a contract under the goalpost as 49ers head coach [[Red Hickey]] watched helplessly from the stands.  Davis later stated, "I knew it wasn't safe to let Alworth go to the dressing room."{{sfn|Simmons|p=19}} In 1978, Davis was selected by Alworth to introduce him at his induction to the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in Canton, Ohio.{{sfn|Simmons|p=19}}

== First stint with the Raiders (1963–1965)==
{{Main|Oakland Raiders}}

=== Background and hiring ===
Early in the 1962 season, Davis spoke with Oakland Raiders owner [[F. Wayne Valley]] about their head coaching job.  However, Davis was not then interested.{{sfn|Simmons|pp=37–38}} After the team's [[1962 Oakland Raiders season|disastrous 1962 season]], in which it lost its first 13 games before defeating a [[Boston Patriots]] team demoralized from having just been eliminated from playoff contention, Valley sought to replace head coach [[Red Conkright]].{{sfn|Simmons|pp=29–35}}

A number of names were rumored to be in contention for the Raiders head coaching job, from [[Green Bay Packers]] coach [[Vince Lombardi]] to [[Lou Agase]], former coach of the [[Canadian Football League]]'s [[Toronto Argonauts]].  On January 1, 1963, Davis met with Valley and the other Raiders general partner, Ed McGah.{{sfn|Richmond|2010|p=44}} According to witnesses present at the negotiations, Davis did not have a high opinion of Valley and McGah, indicating during their absence that they did not know the right questions to ask. They offered him a one-year contract as head coach.  He declined, insisting on a multi-year deal as both head coach and general manager, with complete control over football operations, to which they eventually agreed and settled on a three-year stint{{sfn|Ribowsky|1991|pp=110–111}} at an annual salary of $20,000. According to Davis biographer Ira Simmons, the date that Davis came to Oakland, January 18, 1963, "was probably one of the three or four most important dates in AFL history.  Maybe NFL history too."{{sfn|Simmons|pp=29–30}} Valley later stated, "we needed someone who wanted to win so badly, he would do anything.  Everywhere I went, people told me what a son of a bitch Al Davis was, so I figured he must be doing something right."{{sfn|Richmond|2010|p=44}}

The Raiders team had been a late addition to the original AFL in 1960; the franchise had been awarded when the owners of the AFL Minnesota team had been induced to join the NFL instead.  While it inherited the departed Minnesota team's draft picks, it had little else.  The franchise, originally nicknamed the Señors (changed to Raiders after columnists raised objections) was not established until the other AFL teams had had the opportunity to sign players and coaches, a handicap which contributed to it being the only team to post a losing record in each of the AFL's first three seasons. The [[University of California, Berkeley|University of California]] refused to let it play at [[California Memorial Stadium|Memorial Stadium]] in Berkeley, and no other facility in the East Bay was suitable even for temporary use, forcing it to play its first two seasons at [[Kezar Stadium]] and [[Candlestick Park]], both located across the bay in [[San Francisco]].{{sfn|Simmons|pp=23–29}}

Valley and his group purchased the Raiders in 1961. Valley and his partners used the threat of leaving to induce city officials to construct [[Frank Youell Field]], a temporary facility in downtown Oakland next to the [[Interstate 880 (California)|Nimitz Freeway]] which held about 15,000 people, the use of which was shared with high schools. Planning for a larger stadium — what became the [[Oakland Coliseum]] — began, but there was no guarantee that it would ever be built.{{sfn|Simmons|pp=29–35}}

=== Youngest coach in the AFL ===
Davis immediately began to try to build the Raiders into a championship team, both on the field and in the front office.  Many Raiders players and front-office employees were dismissed.  Since their first season, the Raiders had used hand-me-down black and gold uniforms from the [[Pacific Tigers football|University of the Pacific]] in Stockton.  Davis had been impressed by the black uniforms of the football players at [[Army Black Knights football|West Point]], which he felt made them look larger.  Soon after he arrived, the Raiders adopted their now-iconic silver and black motif.{{Sfn|Miller|2003|p=119}} The Raiders' offices were on an open mezzanine overlooking a downtown Oakland hotel lobby; Davis got Valley to move them to more private facilities. With no agreement between the AFL and NFL, [[List of professional American football drafts|drafted players]] often went to the higher bidder. Davis could not hope to outbid the NFL and drafted players with remaining college eligibility, hoping to sign them once they finished their careers. Thus, his hopes of success for [[1963 Oakland Raiders season|1963]] rested on what trades he could make, and in signing players cut by other teams.{{sfn|Ribowsky|1991|pp=118–121}}

Davis's methods of acquiring these players caused other teams' executives to regard him with respect and caution. He acquired [[All-AFL]] [[guard (American and Canadian football)|guard]] [[Bob Mischak]] from the [[History of the New York Jets|New York Jets]] for [[Dan Ficca]] without telling Jets coach/general manager [[Weeb Ewbank]] that Ficca would not be released from his military service until after the season began. [[Wide receiver]] [[Art Powell (wide receiver)|Art Powell]] had played out his contract with New York and become a free agent, and had apparently been signed by the [[Buffalo Bills]].  Davis learned that the Powell contract had been made before the season ended, and thus constituted [[tampering (sport)|tampering]].  He signed Powell himself, and the Bills did not contest it.{{sfn|Ribowsky|1991|pp=121–123}}

Gillman's Chargers teams had used high-powered offenses.  Davis sought to increase their power.  From the opening of [[training camp (National Football League)|training camp]], he sought to motivate his players, using techniques he had learned in the military.  From the start, players saw phrases like "commitment to excellence" and, on schedules next to the time of games, "We go to war!"{{sfn|Ribowsky|1991|pp=125–130}} In the season opener, at Houston's [[Jeppesen Stadium]] against the Oilers, the two-touchdown underdog Raiders won, 24–13, then came home to defeat the Bills 35–17.  A home loss to the Patriots was next, followed by an East Coast road trip on which the Raiders lost all three games.{{sfn|Ribowsky|1991|pp=130–134}}  To growing excitement in Oakland, the Raiders did not lose the rest of the season, finishing 10–4, a game behind the division champion Chargers, whom the Raiders defeated twice.  Davis was voted AFL Coach of the Year. The 1963 Oakland Raiders were the only pro football team to improve its record by nine victories under the 14-game schedule.{{sfn|Simmons|pp=43–45}}

Although the team slipped to 5–7–2 in [[1964 Oakland Raiders season|1964]], it rebounded to an 8–5–1 record in [[1965 Oakland Raiders season|1965]].

== AFL commissioner (1966) ==
{{Main|AFL–NFL merger}}
By the end of its sixth season in 1965, the American Football League had overcome its initial status of bare-bones survivor to become a significant rival to the NFL.  With a television contract with [[NFL on NBC|NBC]] and major stadiums constructed or being built, the AFL could afford to compete on equal terms for players with the NFL.  Not all AFL owners sought a merger — Jets owner [[Sonny Werblin]], for example, felt that with brand-new [[Shea Stadium]] and the young star [[Joe Namath]] at quarterback, his team could compete on equal terms with the crosstown NFL [[New York Giants|Giants]].  However, most AFL owners wanted to be a part of the older, better-established NFL, whose owners feared continued escalation of player salaries.{{sfn|Rappoport|pp=159–166}}

While the AFL owners liked the league's first commissioner, [[Joe Foss]], they had little confidence in his abilities at a time for struggle between the two leagues, and Foss resigned on April 7, 1966.<ref name=msfqaczr>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z4tRAAAAIBAJ&pg=5072%2C1524235 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=Associated Press |title=Foss quits $50,000 post as AFL czar |date=April 8, 1966 |page=2, part 2 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Davis, 36, was voted in as commissioner the following day,<ref name=pdvsczr>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0ItRAAAAIBAJ&pg=5166%2C1877683 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=Associated Press |title=Appoint Davis as AFL czar |date=April 9, 1966 |page=1, part 2 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and took the job with Valley's agreement, hired as a fighter who would win the war with the NFL. The owners, led by Chiefs owner [[Lamar Hunt]], felt that Davis could put pressure on the NFL and force a favorable settlement.  His biographer, Glenn Dickey, notes that Davis was deceived by the owners, "He thought he had been hired to win the war with the NFL.  In fact, the owners only wanted to force a peace.  They were quietly negotiating a merger while Davis was fighting a war."{{sfn|Dickey|pp=38–39}}

According to sportswriter Ken Rappoport in his history of the AFL, "Davis had a plan, and, considering the football genius the man would become, no one should have been surprised that it would work—brilliantly."{{sfn|Rappoport|p=164}} Davis's target in the war was the NFL's quarterbacks, arranging for AFL teams to sign star players, such as [[Roman Gabriel]] of the Rams, who would be free agents after 1966 although that season had not yet begun.  Gabriel, with his AFL contract to begin in 1967, received an immediate $100,000 bonus.  The signing of 49ers quarterback [[John Brodie]] was announced by Davis and the AFL.{{efn|The Gabriel and Brodie transactions were undone by the merger agreement.  Rappoport, p. 170.}}{{sfn|Dickey|pp=38–39}} These transactions increased the financial pressure on the NFL's weaker franchises, which faced the prospect of losing their best players in a year, or greatly increasing their labor costs. A [[AFL–NFL merger|merger agreement]] was announced on June 8 and Davis was greatly displeased with the agreement on two fronts. It required the Jets and Raiders to pay indemnities to the Giants and 49ers for establishing teams within their exclusive territories, and it also put him out of a job: the merger agreement immediately abolished the post of AFL commissioner. [[Pete Rozelle]] would continue in his post as NFL commissioner under the merger agreement.  Davis had hoped to be named commissioner if any merger was reached; the result increased what already had become a dislike of Rozelle.{{sfn|Rappoport|pp=164–166}}{{sfn|Ribowsky|1991|pp=165–177}}

Davis resigned as commissioner on July 25, 1966. AFL owners wanted Davis to continue serving as AFL ''President.'' AFL owners had explicitly agreed that the office of AFL President would be subservient to that of the NFL Commissioner, and Davis flatly refused to consider serving as a subordinate to Rozelle. Eventually, [[Milt Woodard]] (who was assistant commissioner under Foss)<ref name=wnbiafps>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KQAqAAAAIBAJ&pg=5957%2C2919339 |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal |agency=Associated Press |title=Woodard new boss in AFL power shift |date=July 26, 1966 |page=13, part 2 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> agreed to serve as President of the AFL.<ref name=amip>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xDQ0AAAAIBAJ&pg=6790%2C2430253 |newspaper=Miami News |agency=Associated Press |title=Art Modell interim president for NFL |date=May 27, 1967 |page=1B }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

== Back with the Raiders (1966–2011) ==
After resigning as AFL commissioner, Davis formed a holding company, A.D. Football, Inc., and returned to the Oakland Raiders as one of three general partners, along with [[F. Wayne Valley|Wayne Valley]] and Ed McGah. He was also named head of football operations. Although he only owned a 10% stake in the team, Davis was now operating head of the franchise and would remain so for the next 45 years. Valley and McGah largely left the Raiders in Davis' hands.

In 1972, while managing general partner Valley was attending the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Davis drafted a revised partnership agreement that made him the new managing general partner with near-absolute control over team operations.<ref name=brstynyt>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/11/sports/football/brash-style-and-power-plays-let-al-davis-wrest-control-of-raiders.html?_r=0 |newspaper=New York Times |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |title=A brash style and power plays allowed Davis to wrest control |date=October 10, 2011 |access-date=April 25, 2014}}</ref> McGah signed the agreement. Since two of the team's three general partners had voted in favor of the agreement, it was binding under California partnership law at the time. Valley sued to overturn the agreement once he returned to the country but was unsuccessful. Valley sold his interest in 1976 and from that point none of the other partners played any role in the team's operations<ref name=brstynyt /> despite the fact that Davis did not acquire a majority interest in the Raiders until 2005, when he bought the shares held by McGah's family (McGah died in 1983). At the time of his death, Davis owned about 67% of the team.

In addition to serving as owner, Davis effectively served as his own general manager until his death — longer than any football operations chief in the league at the time. When he died, he was one of three NFL owners who had the title or powers of general manager, the others being [[Jerry Jones]] of the [[Dallas Cowboys]] and [[Mike Brown (American football executive)|Mike Brown]] of the [[Cincinnati Bengals]]. Davis was long recognized as one of the most hands-on owners in professional sports and reportedly had more authority over day-to-day operations than any other owner in the league.

Davis was known throughout the league as a maverick and dressed the part. By the time he took complete control of the Raiders, he had assumed his classic image—slicked-back hair in a 1950s-style [[ducktail]], dark [[sunglasses]], white [[tracksuit]]s and [[Brooklyn accent|Brooklyn-tinged speech]] ("the Raiduhs"). Their bully image of the 1970s and 1980s are attributed directly to Davis, who has often said he'd rather be feared than respected. Slogans such as "Just Win, Baby," "Pride and Poise" and "Commitment to Excellence" are Davis trademarks. "Don't be afraid of failure," said Davis. "Don't worry about mistakes. Just win."<ref name="ESPN Classic's SportsCentury">[https://www.espn.com/classic/biography/s/Davis_Al.html ESPN Classic's SportsCentury]</ref>

Although he became successful on the business side of football, Davis didn't lose touch with [[Strategy of American football|game strategy]] and talent evaluation. He has boasted that he can watch somebody for 10 seconds and tell if he's a player. "I don't think the idea is to be totally human," Davis said. "I don't want to look like the other owners. It's establishment. I've always been closer to the players." "If horse racing were Al's business, he would love those yearling auctions where they walk each horse out for everybody to see them," former Raiders coach [[John Madden]] wrote in his autobiography. "Al would pick more stakes winners than anybody else. Al might even find a way to talk to the horse."<ref name="ESPN Classic's SportsCentury"/>

With Davis in control, the Raiders became one of the most successful teams in all of professional sports. From 1967 to 1985, they won one AFL championship ([[1967 Oakland Raiders season|1967]]),  three [[Super Bowl]]s: [[1976 Oakland Raiders season|1976]] ([[Super Bowl XI|XI]]), [[1980 Oakland Raiders season|1980]] ([[Super Bowl XV|XV]]) and [[1983 Los Angeles Raiders season|1983]] ([[Super Bowl XVIII|XVIII]]) and made 15 playoff appearances (including 11 [[AFL Championship|AFL]] / [[AFC Championship Game]] appearances). Although the Raiders later fell on harder times, going 37–91 from 2003 to 2010, they are one of only seven teams to play in the Super Bowl in four different decades, the others being the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]], [[New England Patriots]], [[New York Giants]], [[Denver Broncos]], [[St.Louis/Los Angeles Rams]] and [[San Francisco 49ers]].

In 1992, Davis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Team and League Administrator and was presented by John Madden. Davis was chosen by a record nine Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees to present them at the Canton, Ohio ceremony: Lance Alworth, [[Jim Otto]], [[George Blanda]], [[Willie Brown (American football, born 1940)|Willie Brown]], [[Gene Upshaw]], [[Fred Biletnikoff]], [[Art Shell]], [[Ted Hendricks]] and Madden.

In 2007, Davis sold a minority stake in the Raiders for $150 million<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2007/11/19/daily6.html | first=Eric | last=Young | title=Davis sells minority stake in Raiders for $150M | date=November 19, 2007}}</ref> and said that he would not retire until he won two more Super Bowls or died.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mercextra.com/blogs/buzz/2007/11/20/al-davis-two-super-bowls-or-bust-im-betting-on-bust/|title=Mercury News - San Diego Hotels Review|website=www.mercextra.com}}</ref>

Davis' generosity was legendary when it came to helping former players in need, although he routinely did so without fanfare. His philosophy was: once a Raider, always a Raider.<ref>Steve Kroner. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/09/SPLO1LFB4J.DTL "'Raiders players, coaches recall Al Davis' loyalty"]. ''San Francisco Chronicle''. October 9, 2011.</ref>

=== Legal battles ===
Davis was long considered one of the most controversial owners in the NFL and was involved in multiple lawsuits.

Prior to the 1980 season, Davis attempted unsuccessfully to have improvements made to the [[Oakland Coliseum]], specifically the addition of [[luxury box]]es. On March 1, 1980, he signed a [[memorandum of agreement]] to move the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles. The move, which required three-fourths approval by league owners, was defeated 22–0 (with five owners abstaining). When Davis tried to move the team anyway, he was blocked by an [[injunction]]. In response, the Raiders not only became an active partner in an [[antitrust]] lawsuit filed by the [[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum]] (who had recently lost the [[Los Angeles Rams]] to [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]]), but filed an antitrust lawsuit of their own.<ref>Dickey, ''Just Win, Baby''. p. 168.</ref>  After the first case was declared a [[Trial (law)|mistrial]], in May 1982 a second jury ruled in favor of Davis and the Los Angeles Coliseum, clearing the way for the move.<ref>Dickey, ''Just Win, Baby''.  p. 172.</ref><ref name="moveone">{{cite web|url=http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/davisall.shtml |title=Al Davis biography |access-date=2007-01-30 |work=HickokSports.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20020223180421/http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/davisall.shtml |archive-date=2002-02-23 }}</ref><ref name="movetwo">{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/classic/s/add_davis_al.html |title=Good guys wear black |access-date=2007-01-30 |last=Puma |first=Mike |date=2003-12-01 |publisher=[[ESPN Classic]]}}</ref> The Raiders finally relocated to Los Angeles for the [[1982 NFL season|1982 season]], playing their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

One major factor for Davis in moving to the Los Angeles Coliseum—despite its flaws as a football stadium—was his assumption that the NFL would eventually approve [[pay-per-view]] telecasts for its games; such a move would potentially have given the Raiders a virtual TV monopoly in Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest TV market. Davis also counted on being able to persuade the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission to renovate the facility, particularly by installing scores of luxury boxes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 18, 1982 |title=A Gridiron Home |url=https://alumni.ucla.edu/ucla-history-4/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=UCLA Alumni |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=A Tale of Two Davises |url=https://www.theringer.com/2017/05/25/nfl/oakland-raiders-las-vegas-move-los-angeles-relocation-43438f97507f |website=The Ringer}}</ref>

In 1995, after being unable to secure a new stadium in the Los Angeles area and when a proposed move to [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]] that involved Davis taking ownership of the [[Sacramento Kings]] fell apart, Davis moved the team back to Oakland then sued the NFL, claiming the league sabotaged the team's effort to build a stadium at [[Hollywood Park Racetrack|Hollywood Park]] in [[Inglewood, California|Inglewood]] by not doing enough to help the team move from the antiquated Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to a new stadium complete with luxury suites.<ref>{{cite web |title=Al Davis, Hall of Fame owner of Raiders, dies at age 82 |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/al-davis-hall-of-fame-owner-of-raiders-dies-at-age-82-09000d5d822ed9f9#:~:text=Davis%20also%20was%20a%20litigious,popular%20sport%20in%20the%20country. |website=NFL.com}}</ref> The NFL won a 9-3 verdict in 2001, but Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Richard Hubbell ordered a new trial amid accusations that one juror was biased against the team and Davis, and that another juror committed misconduct. A state appeals court overturned that decision, and the California Supreme Court unanimously ruled the verdict against the Raiders stands.<ref>{{cite web |title=Court ends Raiders lawsuit against NFL |url=https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2007/07/03/court-ends-raiders-lawsuit-against-nfl/ |website=Associated Press}}</ref>

In the mid-1990s, Davis sued the NFL on behalf of the Raiders, claiming the Raiders had exclusive rights to the Los Angeles market, even though the Raiders were in Oakland. Davis and the Raiders lost the lawsuit.<ref>{{cite web|title=Al Davis, Hall of Fame owner of Raiders, dies at age 82|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/al-davis-hall-of-fame-owner-of-raiders-dies-at-age-82-09000d5d822ed9f9|website=[[NFL.com]]|access-date=16 March 2015}}</ref>

In 2007, [[NFL Films]] chose the feud between Davis and the NFL/Pete Rozelle as their No. 1 greatest feud in NFL history on the [[NFL Network]]'s Top Ten Feuds, citing almost a half-century of animosity between Davis and the league. Some believe that the root of Davis' animosity towards the NFL and his former co-owners in the AFL was the surreptitious way they pushed the AFL-NFL merger behind his back.

The feud was most recently chronicled in ''Al Davis vs. the NFL'', a documentary on the feud between Davis and Rozelle first broadcast by [[ESPN]] on February 4, 2021, as part of its ''[[30 for 30#Volume IV|30 for 30]]'' series. The film's narrative structure uses reconstructions of Davis and Rozelle to "tell" its story, using [[deepfake]] technology and extensive content from the NFL Films archives.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2021/01/espn-films-latest-30-for-30-documentary-al-davis-vs-the-nfl-to-premiere-february-4/ |title=ESPN Films Latest 30 for 30 Documentary ''Al Davis vs. The NFL'' to Premiere February 4 |publisher=ESPN |date=January 15, 2021 |access-date=October 7, 2021}}</ref>

=== Trading Stabler ===
In the 1980 offseason, star quarterback [[Ken Stabler]] attempted to renegotiate his contract with the Raiders. A veteran “gunslinger”, Stabler had won the Raiders' only title until then and had been a mainstay since his 1968 signing with the team as a protégé of Lamonica. Davis angered much of the Raider community by dealing him to the Oilers for quarterback [[Dan Pastorini]], a trade many regarded as selfishly seeking revenge while strengthening the team's top AFC rival. Pastorini was injured in week 5 and the starting role fell to his backup, [[Jim Plunkett]]. The former Heisman Trophy-winning but little-achieved professional led the Raiders to a victory in [[Super Bowl XV]].

=== Marcus Allen benching ===
[[Marcus Allen]], the [[Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] in the Raiders' [[Super Bowl XVIII]] victory, was ordered benched by Davis for two years following a contract dispute.<ref name=gay>{{cite news |first=Nancy |last=Gay |title=Raiders Notebook: Classy Allen has the last word on his day |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/08/04/SP304723.DTL |newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=August 4, 2003 |page=D–7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916234628/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2003%2F08%2F04%2FSP304723.DTL |archive-date=September 16, 2011 |url-status=live |df=mdy |access-date=June 29, 2017 }}</ref> Davis only commented, "He was a cancer on the team."<ref name=nflmourns>{{cite news|title=NFL mourns passing of Raiders owner Al Davis |date=October 8, 2011 |agency=Associated Press |work=SportingNews.com |url=http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2011-10-08/nfl-mourns-passing-of-raiders-owner-al-davis |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130202170302/http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2011-10-08/nfl-mourns-passing-of-raiders-owner-al-davis |archive-date=February 2, 2013 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref> Allen said that Davis "told me he was going to get me." He added that "I think he's tried to ruin the later part of my career. He's trying to stop me from going to the Hall of Fame. They don't want me to play."<ref name=nyt>{{cite news|title=Pro Football: Raiders' Allen Irked at Davis |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/15/sports/pro-football-raiders-allen-irked-at-davis.html |work=The New York Times |date=December 15, 1992 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111014072650/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/15/sports/pro-football-raiders-allen-irked-at-davis.html |archive-date=October 14, 2011 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref> Davis called Allen's charges "fraudulent" and then-Raiders coach Art Shell said only he decided who plays.<ref name=nyt /> The Raiders released Allen in 1992.<ref name=gay />

=== Davis deals Gruden ===
On February 18, 2002, Davis dealt his head coach [[Jon Gruden]] to the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] in exchange for Tampa Bay's [[2002 NFL draft|2002]] and [[2003 NFL draft|2003]] first-round draft picks, 2002 and [[2004 NFL draft|2004]] second-round draft picks, and $8 million in cash.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gruden agrees to five-year deal with Bucs |date=February 18, 2002 |publisher=ESPN |url=http://static.espn.go.com/nfl/news/2002/0218/1335853.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924212531/http://static.espn.go.com/nfl/news/2002/0218/1335853.html |archive-date=September 24, 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref> His replacement, [[Bill Callahan (American football coach)|Bill Callahan]], led Oakland to an 11–5 record and their third consecutive division championship. The Raiders reached [[Super Bowl XXXVII]], where they faced Gruden, who led Tampa Bay to its first Super Bowl berth. The Buccaneers won in a 48–21 blowout, in a matchup that was termed the "Gruden Bowl".<ref>Martzke, Rudy. [https://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/super/2003-01-27-ratings_x.htm "'Gruden Bowl' keeps fans glued to TVs"]. ''USA Today''. January 27, 2003.</ref> Seventeen years later, Gruden returned to the Raiders as head coach in 2018 after seven years with the Buccaneers and nine years with ESPN, although he resigned in 2021 as a result of emails leaked of Gruden making misogynistic, homophobic, and racist comments.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shpigel |first1=Ben |title=Gruden Sues N.F.L. and Goodell, Alleging 'Soviet Style' Plot Against Him |work=The New York Times |date=13 Nov 2021 |page=B10}}</ref>

=== Losing years ===
Although it was not apparent at the time, the Raiders' loss in the Super Bowl would be Davis' last hurrah. The Raiders would start to struggle and suffer seven consecutive losing seasons from [[2003 Oakland Raiders season|2003]] to [[2009 Oakland Raiders season|2009]], the longest drought in franchise history. This included double-digit loss record seasons in seven consecutive years from 2003 to 2009. The team cycled through multiple head coaches. Their 2007 [[List of first overall National Football League draft picks|first overall draft pick]], quarterback [[JaMarcus Russell]], was called "the biggest draft flop in NFL history" by [[FoxSports.com]].<ref name=marvez>{{cite news|last=Marvez |first=Alex |title=Davis leaves Raiders on the right path |date=October 8, 2011 |work=FoxSports.com |publisher=Fox Sports Interactive Media |url=http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Al-Davis-dies-as-Oakland-Raiders-getting-back-on-right-track-100811 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111010194305/http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Al-Davis-dies-as-Oakland-Raiders-getting-back-on-right-track-100811 |archive-date=October 10, 2011 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref> Davis was largely blamed, and his motto of "Just win, baby!" was mocked by many.<ref name=marvez /> Russell was released by the Raiders in May 2010 and never played another down in the NFL.

The [[2011 Oakland Raiders season|2011 Raiders]]' record was 2–2 at Davis' death.<ref name=marvez /> The day after his death, the Raiders defeated the [[Houston Texans]] 25–20 on a final play interception by [[Safety (American and Canadian football position)|safety]] [[Michael Huff]] in the end zone. The Raiders finished the season with a record of 8–8 and missed the playoffs, after starting the season 7–4.

=== Civil rights and diversity ===
Davis breached several civil rights and diversity barriers during his career with the Raiders. In 1963, the Raiders were scheduled to play a preseason game in [[Mobile, Alabama]]. In protest of Alabama's segregation laws, Davis refused to allow the game to be played there and demanded the game be moved to Oakland. He also refused to allow the players to travel to cities to play games where the black and white players would have to stay in separate hotels.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Battista |first=Judy |author-link=Judy Battista |date=2011-10-09 |title=Al Davis Was a Maverick Until His Death |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/sports/football/al-davis-was-a-maverick-until-his-death.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Amy%20Trask&st=cse |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>

Davis was the first NFL owner to hire an African American head coach, [[Art Shell]], and a female chief executive, [[Amy Trask]].<ref name=nflmourns /> He also hired [[Tom Flores]], the first Latino head coach in the league.<ref name=farmar>{{cite news |last=Farmer |first=Sam |url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-me-al-davis-20111009,0,3055957,full.story |title=Al Davis dies at 82; Oakland Raiders owner transformed team |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=October 9, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111010154806/http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-me-al-davis-20111009,0,3055957,full.story |archive-date=October 10, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref>{{efn|[[Tom Fears]] of the New Orleans Saints in 1967 was the first Latino head coach in the NFL. Flores, who started coaching in 1979, is listed in some sources as being the first.<ref>{{cite web|title=History: Latin-Americans in Pro Football |publisher=[[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] |url=http://www.profootballhof.com/history/general/latin-americans.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111014231825/http://www.profootballhof.com/history/general/latin-americans.aspx |archive-date=October 14, 2011 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Branch |first=John |title=For Alberto Riveron, From Cuba to N.F.L.'s First Hispanic Referee |date=November 15, 2008 |page=SP1 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/sports/football/16ref.html?pagewanted=all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618054209/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/sports/football/16ref.html?pagewanted=all |archive-date=June 18, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref>}}

==Head coaching record==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year
|-
!Won!!Lost!!Ties!!Win %!!Finish
|-
![[1963 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]||[[1963 American Football League season|1963]]
||10||4||0||.714||2nd in AFL Western
|-
![[1964 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]||[[1964 American Football League season|1964]]
||5||7||2||.417||3rd in AFL Western
|-
![[1965 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]||[[1965 American Football League season|1965]]
||8||5||1||.615||2nd in AFL Western
|-
! colspan="2"|Total||23||16||3||.583||
|-
|}

== Death ==
Davis died, aged 82, in his suite at the [[Hilton Hotels & Resorts|Hilton]] Hotel Oakland Airport at 2:45&nbsp;a.m. [[Pacific Time Zone|PDT]] on October 8, 2011 in [[Oakland, California]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_21717450/al-davis-death-still-resonates-raiders-one-year|title=Al Davis' death still resonates with Raiders one year later |publisher=The Mercury News|author=McDonald, Jerry|date=August 12, 2016|access-date=November 21, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Raiders owner Al Davis dead at 82 |url=http://www.espn.co.uk/american-fb/story/_/id/7074380/oakland-raiders-owner-al-davis-dies-82 |date=October 9, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321020457/http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7074380/oakland-raiders-owner-al-davis-dies-82 |archive-date=March 21, 2012 |access-date=6 June 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy |publisher=ESPN |agency=Associated Press }}</ref><ref name="COD">{{cite web|title=Al Davis died of heart failure |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/7161801/oakland-raiders-owner-al-davis-died-heart-failure |publisher=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=28 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111230122210/http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7161801/oakland-raiders-owner-al-davis-died-heart-failure |archive-date=December 30, 2011 |access-date=6 June 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref> Nine days later, a private service and funeral was held for Davis, who was interred at [[Chapel of the Chimes (Oakland, California)|Chapel of the Chimes]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Raiders fans pay respects to Al Davis at Oakland chapel |url=http://blog.sfgate.com/raiders/2011/10/17/raiders-fans-pay-respects-to-al-davis-at-oakland-chapel/ |work=San Francisco Chronicle |author=Schulman, Henry |date=17 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120225531/http://blog.sfgate.com/raiders/2011/10/17/raiders-fans-pay-respects-to-al-davis-at-oakland-chapel/ |archive-date=January 20, 2012 |access-date=6 June 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref>  In the days following the funeral, [[The Associated Press]] obtained information pertaining to Davis' death.  The [[death certificate]], issued by [[Alameda County, California|Alameda County]], disclosed Davis had died from "an abnormal heart rhythm, [[congestive heart failure]] and a heart muscle disease".<ref name="COD" />  Davis had previously undergone heart surgery in 1996.  Davis was also afflicted with [[Merkel-cell carcinoma]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Farooq |first1=Sajid |title=Al Davis Death Certificate Reveals Cause of Death |url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/al-davis-death-certificate-reveals-cause-of-death/1904404/ |access-date=3 September 2023 |agency=[[KNTV]] |date=28 October 2011}}</ref> a rare skin cancer, and had undergone throat surgery in the days preceding his death.<ref name="COD" />

There was an outpouring of support and grief in the wake of Davis' death. [[John Madden]], who had remained close to Davis since their first meeting in 1966, lamented, "You don't replace a guy like that. No way. No damn way. You look at the things he's done that no one ever did before, being a scout, assistant coach, head coach, general manager, commissioner and owner."<ref name="MaddenNYT">{{cite news|title=For Grieving Madden, a Death in the Family|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/sports/football/john-madden-deals-with-the-loss-of-his-best-friend.html|work=The New York Times|author=Sandomir, Richard|date=13 October 2011|access-date=14 October 2011}}</ref>  The Sunday following his death, the Oakland Raiders adorned their helmets with a sticker which read "Al" in Davis' memory.  A league-wide [[moment of silence]] was also observed.<ref>{{cite web|title=Raiders honor Davis with helmet decals, win over Texans |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/raiders-honor-davis-with-helmet-decals-win-over-texans-09000d5d822f2c0d |publisher=National Football League |agency=Associated Press |date=9 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121222110/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d822f2c0d/article/raiders-will-honor-davis-with-decal-on-helmets-vs-texans |archive-date=January 21, 2012 |access-date=6 June 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref> Despite the widespread remembrance of his accomplishments, Davis' position as a controversial figure lives on as part of his legacy. Sportswriter [[Rick Reilly]] was particularly adamant that the questionable personnel decisions Davis made later in his career and his arrogant, brash personality should not be forgotten amidst sportswriters' praise of him as an innovative owner.<ref>{{cite web|title=Commitment to honesty |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/7098616/rick-reilly-reflects-al-davis-commitment-honesty |publisher=ESPN |author=Reilly, Rick |date=14 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418204538/http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/7098616/rick-reilly-reflects-al-davis-commitment-honesty |archive-date=April 18, 2012 |access-date=17 October 2011 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref>

Davis was survived by his wife, [[Carol Davis (American football)|Carol]] and their only child, [[Mark Davis (American football)|Mark]], a graduate of [[California State University, Chico]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Davis family will retain ownership of Raiders |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/08/SPLP1LEMCC.DTL |work=San Francisco Chronicle |author=Tafur, Vittorio |date=9 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328140750/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2011%2F10%2F08%2FSPLP1LEMCC.DTL |archive-date=March 28, 2012 |access-date=9 October 2011 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref> Mark assumed his father's old title of managing general partner of the Raiders and with his mother owns the majority of the team. Both Mark and Carol represent the Raiders in owners' meetings.<ref>{{cite web|title=Raiders owner admits L.A. stadium talks |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/7448455/mark-davis-says-oakland-raiders-need-new-stadium-los-angeles-option |publisher=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=10 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630042617/http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7448455/mark-davis-says-oakland-raiders-need-new-stadium-los-angeles-option |archive-date=June 30, 2012 |access-date=January 11, 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref> Carol suffered a serious heart attack in 1979 and was hospitalized for three weeks but was able to make a complete recovery.<ref>{{cite news|title=Carole Davis returns to fun, travel and football|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19801109&id=2KQfAAAAIBAJ&pg=1261,1417218|publisher=Gadsden Times|date=November 9, 1980|access-date=October 14, 2011}}</ref>

Al Davis' mother Rose had lived to age 103. She died in 2001, having outlived her husband Lou by 40 years.<ref name="Mom Obit">{{cite news |title=Al Davis' mother, Rose, dies at 103 |url=http://amarillo.com/stories/102301/spo_aldavis.shtml |work=Amarillo Globe-News |agency=Associated Press |date=23 October 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616111012/http://amarillo.com/stories/102301/spo_aldavis.shtml |archive-date=June 16, 2013 |access-date=14 October 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

=== The "11th man" ===
The day after Davis' death, the Raiders played the [[Houston Texans]]. Oakland was leading the game, 25–20 late in the fourth quarter. On the final play of the game, Raider free safety [[Michael Huff]] intercepted Texan quarterback [[Matt Schaub]] in the end zone to preserve the victory.<ref>{{cite news|title=Wk 5 Can't-Miss Play: Emotional finish|url=http://www.raiders.com/media-vault/videos/Wk-5-Cant-Miss-Play-Emotional-finish/5c43d9d7-fa37-4107-904c-22da4e46908a|access-date=October 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111012130221/http://www.raiders.com/media-vault/videos/Wk-5-Cant-Miss-Play-Emotional-finish/5c43d9d7-fa37-4107-904c-22da4e46908a|archive-date=October 12, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The Raiders had only 10 defensive players on the field for the play.<ref name="Final play -- Raiders had 10 on field">{{cite news|title=Final play – Raiders had 10 on field |url=http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/raiders-talk/post/-?blockID=575880&feedID=2539 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130120060652/http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/raiders-talk/post/-?blockID=575880&feedID=2539 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 20, 2013 |access-date=October 12, 2011 }}</ref> The play was referred to as the "Divine Interception"<ref name="Final play -- Raiders had 10 on field" /> with media speculating that Davis was the 11th player on the field in spirit.<ref>{{cite news|title=Was Davis the 11th Raider on the field?|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/afcwest/post/_/id/33656/was-davis-the-11th-raider-on-the-field|access-date=October 12, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Raiders vs. Texans, NFL Scores: Last-Second Michael Huff Interception Seals Raiders 25–20 Win|url=http://bayarea.sbnation.com/oakland-raiders/2011/10/9/2479415/raiders-vs-texans-nfl-scores-michael-huff-interception-jason-campbell-matt-schaub|access-date=October 12, 2011}}</ref> Raiders coach [[Hue Jackson]] said Al Davis "had his hand on that ball."<ref>{{cite web | title=Raiders knew they were a man down on final play vs. Texans | url=https://www.nfl.com/news/raiders-knew-they-were-a-man-down-on-final-play-vs-texans-09000d5d823130b4 | date=October 12, 2011 | first=Simon | last=Samano | work=[[NFL.com]] | access-date=October 13, 2011}}</ref> Jackson was highly emotional in victory as well as Davis's son [[Mark Davis (American football)|Mark Davis]]. Jackson said, "One thing coach [Davis] always taught me was he said: 'Hue, don't believe in plays. Believe in players and eventually the players will make plays for you.' And that's what I did. I could just hear him saying that to me the whole time. Believe in your players and not the plays." "We know he's looking down on us right now," Hue said. "This win is for him. I appreciate everything he's done for this organization. He's never gone in our eyes. We'll never let him go. He's with us."<ref>{{cite news | title=Raiders hold off Texans on emotional day after honoring Al Davis | url=http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=311009034 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011144548/http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=311009034 | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 11, 2011 | date=October 9, 2011 | agency=[[Associated Press]] | work=ESPN.com | access-date=October 9, 2011}}</ref>

==Al Davis Memorial Torch==
After Davis' death, Mark Davis and the Raiders created the Al Davis Memorial Torch.

There are currently two such torches: the original torch is a gas-operated torch that was brought out on game days at the [[Oakland Coliseum]] and was lit by a former Raiders player or coach prior to each Raider home game. That individual would then also sign the back or one of the side panels of the torch.

When the team relocated to [[Las Vegas]] in 2020, the torch from the Coliseum was moved to and placed in front of the team's new headquarters in [[Henderson, Nevada]] with the player-signed side and back panels being put on display at [[Allegiant Stadium]], where an {{convert|85|ft}} tall torch (that rises above the main concourse) was built.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Akers |first1=Mick |title=FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE RAIDERS' FUTURE HOME |url=https://lasvegasweekly.com/news/2018/sep/06/five-things-to-know-about-the-raiders-future-home/ |website=lasvegasweekly.com |date=September 6, 2018 |access-date=4 August 2019}}</ref> The Allegiant Stadium Al Davis Memorial Torch is the largest [[3D printing|3D printed]] object in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/mickakers/status/1199065443568209920|title=The skeleton of the memorial torch at @AllegiantStadm being constructed. Will be 85 feet tall when complete and the largest 3-D printed object in the world, according to Don Webb. #vegas #raiders #stadiumpic.twitter.com/gcikVfIRnS|last=Akers|first=Mick|date=2019-11-25|website=@mickakers|language=en|access-date=2019-11-25}}</ref>

==Accolades==
In 2003, Davis was inducted into the [[Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scjewishsportshof.com/davis.html|title=Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Home|website=scjewishsportshof.com}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[History of the Oakland Raiders]]
* [[History of the Los Angeles Raiders]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{cite book|first=Glenn|last=Dickey|title=Just Win, Baby: Al Davis & His Raiders|publisher=Harcourt Brace Jovanovich|location=New York|year=1991|isbn=978-0-15-146580-4 |ref={{sfnRef|Dickey}}}}
* {{cite book|first=Mark|last=Ribowsky|title=Slick: The Silver and Black Life of Al Davis|publisher=Macmillan Publishing Company|location=New York|year=1991|isbn=978-0-02-602500-3}}
* {{cite book|first=Ira|last=Simmons|title=Black Knight: Al Davis and His Raiders|publisher=Prima Publishing|location=Rocklin, California|year=1990|isbn=978-1-55958-055-7|ref={{sfnRef|Simmons}}|url=https://archive.org/details/unset0000unse_b4g3}}
* {{cite book |last=Miller |first=Jeff |title=Going Long: The Wild Ten-Year Saga of the Renegade American Football League In the Words of Those Who Lived It |year=2003 |publisher=McGraw-Hill |isbn=0-07-141849-0}}
* {{cite book|first=Murray|last=Olderman|title=Just Win, Baby: The Al Davis Story|publisher=Triumph Books|location=Illinois|year=2012|isbn=978-1-60078-764-5 |ref={{sfnRef|Olderman}}}}
* {{cite book|first=Jeff|last=Davis|title=Rozelle, Czar of the NFL|publisher=McGraw Hill|location=New York|year=2008|isbn=978-0-07-147166-4|ref={{sfnRef|Davis}}|url=https://archive.org/details/rozelleczarofnfl0000davi}}
* {{cite book|first=Ken|last=Rappoport|title=The Little League that Could: A History of the American Football League|publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing|location=Lanham, Maryland|year=2010|isbn=978-1-58979-463-4|ref={{sfnRef|Rappoport}}}}
* {{cite book|first=Peter|last=Richmond|title=Badasses: The Legend of Snake, Foo, Dr. Death, and John Madden's Oakland Raiders|publisher=HarperCollins|location=New York|year=2010|isbn=978-0-06-183430-1|url=https://archive.org/details/badasseslegendof00harp}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.raiders.com/history/al-davis.html Las Vegas Raiders biography]
* [http://www.si.com/nfl/2019/08/27/al-davis-oakland-raiders-nfl-100-seasons How the Influence of Al Davis Shaped the Modern NFL] by [[Sports Illustrated]]
* {{Profootballhof|id=51|name=Al Davis}}
* {{Find a Grave|77842244}}

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