Eddie Erdelatz Eddie Erdelatz ( April 21 , 1913 – November 10 , 1966 ) was an American collegiate and Professional Football player and coach who was the head football coach of the U . S . Naval Academy for nine years , as well as holding the distinction of being the first head coach of the American Football League ' s Oakland Raiders . Erdelatz ' s mother died two weeks after his birth . He played three years at end for St . Mary ' s College in California beginning in 1932 under the Slip Madigan . In one case , a scraped leg that led to infection ( and possible amputation ) failed to keep him off the field , while his senior season was not stopped , despite a shoulder separation and twisted knee . In 1936 , Erdelatz became St . Mary ' s line coach under Madigan , leaving for a similar position with the University of San Francisco two years later . By 1940 , he found himself back at St . Mary ' s for yet another two year stint that was followed by service in the U . S . Navy during World War II . Having risen to the rank of lieutenant commander in 1945 , Erdelatz began the first of three years as a Navy assistant coach at the academy in Annapolis , Maryland . During this time , he helped develop end Dick Duden into an All - American . Looking to return to California , Erdelatz accepted the defensive coordinator ' s position with the San Francisco 49ers , then of the All - America Football Conference , in 1948 . Two years later , he returned to Navy to take over a football program that was in disarray , having won just four games over the previous five campaigns . The stress of rebuilding the program took its toll that first year with Erdelatz , who lost 50 pounds to drop to 195 on the scale . However , he led an upset of arch - rival Army . The Black Knights had entered the game with an 8 - 0 record , having won 17 straight games and not having lost in 28 contests , while also having defeated Navy five times in the last six games . Those marks were in sharp contrast to Navy ' s 2 - 6 record , but an outstanding defensive effort resulted in a 14 - 2 victory for the Midshipmen . After two years at Navy , Erdelatz ' s record stood at 5 - 12 - 1 , but he would never again have a losing season in his final seven seasons and would finish 5 - 3 - 1 in his games against Army . In 1954 , the team finished 8 - 2 , losing close games to Pittsburgh and Notre Dame . Erdelatz labeled this squad , " A Team Called Desire " and then went on to shut out the University of Mississippi in the 1955 Sugar Bowl . Three years later , the Midshipmen competed in the Cotton Bowl Classic , where they knocked off Rice University , 20 - 7 . The latter win came one year after the first major conflict of Erdelatz ' s tenure , when his bid to play in a bowl game was rejected , despite having only one loss on the year . After the bowl victory over Rice , Erdelatz was courted by other schools and nearly accepted the task of replacing Bear Bryant at Texas A & M University . After the 1958 season , he was also seen as a candidate for the 49ers ' head coaching job , but instead , began spring practice the following year at Navy . On April 8 , 1959 , Erdelatz resigned as head coach of the Midshipmen , citing a number of factors , including the desire for an easier schedule . After rejecting an assistant coaching position with the National Football League ' s Washington Redskins , Erdelatz sat out the 1959 season , waiting for the inevitable job offers and worked as a volunteer swim instructor for the handicapped . Indicating interest in the top job at Boston College , Erdelatz was also seen as a candidate for the New York Giants ' position , as well as at the University of Southern California and the University of California , Berkeley . The latter position was given to Marv Levy , with questions about Erdelatz ' s departure from Navy given as the reason . Having rejected the AFL ' s Los Angeles Chargers the year before , Erdelatz raised eyebrows when he accepted the head coaching position with the new league ' s Oakland Raiders on February 9 , 1960 . The team , which was originally scheduled to play in Minnesota , was the last squad to select players , and thus , got limited help from the talent available . During his first season , the team struggled to a 6 - 8 record , due primarily to a weak defense , while off the field , Erdelatz battled an ulcer caused by numerous problems with the team ' s front office . When ownership conflicts kept the team from signing any top draft picks the next season , Erdelatz watched the Raiders outscored 99 - 0 in their first two games , resulting in his dismissal on September 18 , 1961 . After the year had ended , Erdelatz applied for the head coaching job with Army and the NFL ' s St . Louis Cardinals , but came up empty . He then announced his retirement from football on May 9 , 1962 , saying he would be working as an executive with a California financial company . On October 27 , 1966 , shortly after he had undergone a routine physical , Erdelatz had surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his stomach . His cancer had metastisized and caused his death two weeks later . His funeral was attended by more than three hundred people .