Al Davis Allen " Al " Davis ( July 4 , 1929 – October 8 , 2011 ) was an American football executive . He was the principal owner of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League from 1970 to 2011 . His motto for the team was " Just win , baby . " Early career . Born to Rose and Louis Davis in a " relatively affluent " Jewish family in Brockton , Massachusetts , Davis spent his youth in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn and attended Erasmus Hall High School . In contrast to the outlaw image he would later take on , as a teenager Davis won an American Legion medal for " all - around kid . " He attended Wittenberg University and Syracuse University , where he earned a degree in English . Upon graduation , he began his coaching career as the line coach at Adelphi College from 1950 to 1951 . From there Davis served as the head coach of the U . S . Army team at Ft . Belvoir , Virginia from 1952 to 1953 . His next coaching assignment was as the line coach and chief recruiter for The Citadel . From 1957 to 1959 Davis was an offensive line coach at the University of Southern California . Oakland Raiders coach and general manager . Davis ' first coaching experience in professional football came as the offensive end coach of the Los Angeles / San Diego Chargers from 1960 to 1962 . After the 1962 season , Raiders general partner F . Wayne Valley hired Davis as head coach and general manager . At 33 , Davis was the youngest person in professional football history to hold the positions . It was at that time that he assumed the image that would define him for almost half a century — slicked - back hair , Brooklyn - tinged speech ( the " Raiduhs " ) , dark glasses and an intense will to win . Davis immediately began to implement what he termed the " vertical game , " an aggressive offensive strategy based on the West Coast offense developed by Chargers head coach Sid Gillman . Under Davis the Raiders improved to 10 – 4 , the first winning record in franchise history , and one more win than they had notched in their first three seasons combined . He was named the AFL ' s Coach of the Year in 1963 . Though the team slipped to 5 – 7 – 2 in 1964 , it rebounded to an 8 – 5 – 1 record in 1965 . AFL Commissioner . In April 1966 he was named the American Football League Commissioner . He immediately commenced an aggressive campaign against the NFL and signed several of the NFL ' s top players to AFL contracts . Other AFL owners , Davis not included , held secret meetings with the NFL , and in July the AFL and NFL announced that they were merging . Because of the compensation AFL teams were required to pay the NFL , and because he believed the AFL would be the superior league if allowed to remain separate , Davis was against the merger . On July 25 , 1966 , Davis resigned as commissioner rather than remain as commissioner until the end of the AFL in 1970 . Back with the Raiders . After resigning as AFL commissioner , Davis formed a holding company , A . D . Football , Inc . and returned to his old club as one of three general partners , along with Wayne Valley and Ed McGah . He owned a 10 percent stake in the team , and was also named head of football operations . On the field , the team Davis had assembled and coached steadily improved . With John Rauch ( Davis ' s hand - picked successor ) as head coach , the Raiders won the 1967 AFL Championship , defeating the Houston Oilers 40 - 7 . The win earned the team a trip to Super Bowl II , where they were beaten 33 - 14 by Vince Lombardi ' s Green Bay Packers . The following two years , the Raiders again won Western Division titles , only to lose the AFL Championship to the eventual Super Bowl winners — the New York Jets ( 1968 ) and Kansas City Chiefs ( 1969 ) . In 1969 , John Madden became the team ' s sixth head coach , and under him the Raiders became one of the most successful franchises in the NFL , winning six division titles during the 1970s . In 1970 , the AFL - NFL merger took place and the Raiders joined the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the newly merged NFL . The first post - merger season saw the Raiders win the AFC West with an 8 - 4 - 2 record and go all the way to the conference championship , where they lost to the Colts . Despite another 8 - 4 - 2 season in 1971 , the Raiders failed to win the division or achieve a playoff berth . Raiders ownership . 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 . McGah signed the agreement . Since two of the team ' s three general partners had voted in favor of the agreement , it was binding under partnership law of 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 onward none of the other partners had any role in the team ' s operations . This was 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 . At his death he owned approximately 67 percent 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 . He was one of three NFL owners who have the title or powers of general manager , others being the Dallas Cowboys ' Jerry Jones and the Cincinnati Bengals ' Mike Brown . He had long been reckoned 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 . His famous motto was " Just win , baby " . With Davis in control , the Raiders became one of the most successful teams in all of professional sports . From 1967 to 1985 the team won 13 division championships , one AFL championship ( 1967 ) , three Super Bowl s ( XI , XV , and XVIII ) and made 15 playoff appearances . Though the Raiders ' fortunes have waned in recent years , having gone 37 – 91 from 2003 to 2010 , they are one of two teams to play in the Super Bowl in four different decades , with the other being the Pittsburgh Steelers . Along with appearing in five Super Bowls , the Raiders have also played in their Conference / League Championship Game in every decade since their inception . 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 has been 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 , Gene Upshaw , Fred Biletnikoff , Art Shell , Ted Hendricks , and Madden . In 2007 , Davis sold a minority stake in the Raiders for $ 150 million and said that he would not retire until he wins two more Super Bowls or dies . Davis ' generosity was legendary when it came to helping former players in need , although he routinely did so without fanfare . His philosophy : Once a Raider , always a Raider . Legal battles . Davis has long been considered one of the most controversial owners in the NFL and has been involved in multiple lawsuits involving Los Angeles , Oakland , Irwindale and the NFL . In 1980 he attempted to move the Raiders to Los Angeles but was blocked by a court injunction . In response Davis filed an anti - trust lawsuit against the NFL . In June 1982 a federal district court ruled in Davis ' favor and the team officially relocated to Los Angeles for the 1982 NFL season . When the upstart United States Football League filed its antitrust suit in 1986 , Davis was the only NFL owner who sided with the USFL . In 1995 Davis moved the team back to Oakland . Davis then sued the NFL , claiming the league sabotaged the team ' s effort to build a stadium at Hollywood Park in 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 . 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 later overturned that decision . The case was thrown out July 2 , 2007 when the California Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the verdict against the Raiders stood . This was the last of several lawsuits the Raiders had outstanding against the league and its stadium landlords . In the mid - 1990s , Davis sued the NFL on behalf of the Raiders , claiming the Raiders had exclusive rights to the LA market , even though the Raiders were in Oakland . Davis and the Raiders lost the lawsuit . In 2007 , NFL Films chose the feud between Davis and the NFL and Pete Rozelle as their number 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 . Early moves . Davis introduced the Raiders ' signature logo in 1963 in a unilateral move as head coach and general manager . In the 1960s as AFL Commissioner , Davis initiated a bidding war with the NFL over players . But it was his return to Oakland in 1967 that allowed him to reach his true calling . That season Davis made a number of roster moves , including landing Buffalo Bills quarterback Daryle Lamonica , a back - up for starter Jack Kemp on two AFL champion Bills teams . Another move at first thought to be desperate was the signing of former Houston Oilers QB George Blanda , who was already 39 but was still a very solid placekicker , and had played on the first AFL champion teams with Houston , as well as for the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Colts before that . Davis correctly identified Blanda as a mentor for Lamonica as well as a solid special teams man despite his advanced age . That year he also drafted guard Gene Upshaw , the cornerstone of the Oakland offensive line well into the 1980s . Lamonica propelled the Raiders to a 13 - 1 won - loss record in the 1967 - 68 season , and they coasted to the league championship with a 40 - 7 victory over Houston , although they were defeated easily by the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II . Oakland under Davis would go on to win the other two last AFL Western Division titles before the 1970 NFL - AFL merger . During the first years of the new league format Oakland was a dominant franchise , winning the AFC West Division every year except 1971 , and was kept out of the Super Bowls between 1970 and 1975 only by phenomenal Baltimore Colts , Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers teams . Indeed , during the nine - year span from 1967 through 1975 , the Raiders were eliminated by the team that won the Super Bowl on seven occasions ( Green Bay in Super Bowl II at the end of the 1967 season , Super Bowl III champion New York in the 1968 AFL Championship Game , Super Bowl IV champion Kansas City in the 1969 AFL Championship Game , Super Bowl V champion Baltimore in the 1970 AFC Championship , Super Bowl VIII champion Miami in the 1973 AFC Championship Game , and Super Bowl iX and X champion Pittsburgh in the 1974 and 1975 AFC Championship Games ) . Finally , in 1976 , the Raiders won their first title in Super Bowl XI under Davis ' s homegrown head coach John Madden . From 1970 - 1981 Oakland was able to reach the AFC Championship Game seven out of eleven years , and won two Super Bowls in that period . They also captured additional division titles during that period . Trading Stabler . In the 1980 offseason star QB Ken Stabler attempted to renegotiate his contract with the Raiders . A veteran gunslinging quarterback , Stabler had won the Raiders ' only title until then and had been a mainstay since his 1968 signing with the team as a protegé 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 . Although Pastorini was injured in week 5 , the move paid off when replacement veteran Jim Plunkett led the Raiders to a first - place tie with San Diego for the best AFC West record and the wild card spot for their first playoff appearance since 1977 . The Raiders subsequently became the third second - place team to play in the Super Bowl , joining the 1969 Kansas City Chiefs and the 1975 Dallas Cowboys , and they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV . Davis , a preseason goat in Oakland for the Stabler deal , was vindicated ( the Raiders even defeated Stabler ' s Oilers in the wild - card round of the playoffs , 27 - 7 ) . Marcus Allen benching . Marcus Allen , the most valuable player in the Raiders ' Super Bowl XVIII victory , was ordered to be benched by Davis for two years following a contract dispute . Davis only commented , " He was a cancer on the team . " Allen said that Davis " told me he was going to get me . " He added that " I think he ' s tried to ruin the latter part of my career . He ' s trying to stop me from going to the Hall of Fame . They don ' t want me to play . " Davis called Allen ' s charges " fraudulent , " and then - Raiders coach Art Shell said only he decided who plays . The Raiders released Allen in 1992 , and he played the last five years of his 16 - year , Hall of Fame career with the Kansas City Chiefs . Davis deals Gruden . Davis dealt his head coach Jon Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for Tampa Bay ' s 2002 and 2003 first - round draft picks , 2002 and 2004 second - round draft picks , and $ 8 million in cash . His replacement , 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 48 – 21 in a matchup that was termed the " Gruden Bowl " . Losing years . Following their Super Bowl loss , the Raiders failed to make the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons from 2003 – 2010 , with double - digit loss record seasons in seven consecutive years from 2003 – 2009 . The team cycled through multiple head coaches . Their 2007 first overall draft pick , quarterback JaMarcus Russell , was called by FoxSports . com " the biggest draft flop in NFL history " . Davis was largely blamed , and his motto of " Just win , baby ! " was mocked . The 2011 Raiders ' record was 2 – 2 at Davis ' death . 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 . In 1965 , the AFL initially scheduled an All - Star game in New Orleans until Davis protested due to racial barriers in the city at the time . He was instrumental in moving this game to Houston . Davis was the first NFL owner to hire an African American head coach , Art Shell , and a female chief executive , Amy Trask . He also hired Tom Flores , the second Latino head coach in the league . Death . Al Davis died at the age of 82 on October 8 , 2011 . The team said that Davis died at his home in Oakland early Saturday morning . As of October 9 , 2011 , the cause of death had not yet been released . He is interred at Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland . John Madden , who had remained close to Davis since their 1970s Raiders days together said , “ 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 , coach , head coach , general manager , commissioner and owner . ” The Sunday following his death , the Oakland Raiders wore a helmet sticker reading " Al " to commemorate Davis . Also , all teams in the NFL observed a moment of silence for Davis . Despite the widespread remembrance of his accomplishments throughout popular sports media immediately following his death , Davis ' position as a controversial figure lives on as part of his legacy . Rick Reilly was particularly adamant that the questionable personnel decisions he made later in his career and his arrogant , brash personality should not be forgotten amidst sportswriters ' praise of him as an innovative owner . Davis is survived by his wife , Carol , and their only child , Mark , a graduate of California State University , Chico . Raiders chief executive Amy Trask said that the team " will remain in the Davis family . " Davis ' s mother Rose had lived to age 103 . She died in 2001 , having outlived her husband Lou by 40 years . The " 11th man " . A 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 , free safety Michael Huff intercepted quarterback Matt Schaub in the endzone to preserve the victory . The Raiders had only 10 defensive players on the field for the play . The play was referred to as the " Divine Interception " with media speculating that Davis was the 11th player on the field in spirit . Raiders coach Hue Jackson said Al Davis " had his hand on that ball . "