He was found dead at his home in Oakland.
Al Davis' first professional coaching experience came in the form of his role as the offensive end coach for the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers between the years 1960 and 1962.
At the end of the of the 1962 season, the Raider's general partner F. Wayne Valley hired the young Davis as head coach and general manager which, at the tender age of 33, earned him the accolade of being the youngest person in professional football history to hold the coveted positions. Around this time he took on the image which would come to define him over his professional football career: Slicked-back-hair, a heavy Brooklyn accent and dark glasses. He was also noted for his intense desire to will, famously saying that his motto for the team was "Just win, baby".
Davis brought to the fore a new way of playing the sport, which he dubbed 'the vertical game', which was an aggressive offensive strategy adapted from West Coast offense originally developed by the chargers under 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.