Sunday, 22 December 2024

Tom Flores

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Coaches 2024
Embed from Getty Images
Sport(s): Football
Statistics: 3 Super Bowls (XV & XVIII) (XI as an Assistant Coach)
93-92 Record
8-3 Postseason Record
Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame

*Super Bowl (IV)
*AFL All-Star (1966)

*As a player
Tom Flores broke ground in 1960 when Al Davis signed him to be their quarterback, making him the first Hispanic QB in a major professional football league. Flores played ten seasons, winning a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV.

Flores became a coach, first as Buffalo’s quarterback coach, and after a year, Davis brought him back in the same role in 1972. Winning his second Super Bowl as an assistant, Flores moved up to head coach in 1979, replacing the retired John Madden, becoming the first Hispanic head coach in the NFL.

The Raiders continued to be powers in the AFC West, and they won the Super Bowl (XV) in Flores's second year as their head coach. The Raiders continued to be regular playoff participants, and Flores again made history as the first minority head coach to win a second Super Bowl (XVIII).

Flores moved to the Raiders front office after 1987, but that lasted only a year, as he moved to Seattle to become their president and general manager. He stepped back in as Seattle’s head coach in 1992, but in the three seasons he was their head coach, the Seahawks were last in the division.

Flores may not have had a successful run in Seattle, but his performance with the Raiders earned him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

We are proud to nominate Tom Flores for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.

Back to List