Tom Flores

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Flores won four Super Bowls in his playing and coaching careers. He and Mike Ditka are the only two people in NFL history to win a Super Bowl as a player, assistant coach, and head coach (Flores won Super Bowl IV as a player for the Kansas City Chiefs, Super Bowl XI as an assistant coach of the Raiders, and Super Bowl XV and Super Bowl XVIII as head coach of the Raiders). Flores was also the first Mexican starting quarterback and the first minority head coach in professional football history to win a Super Bowl. Although it may not be officially sourced, Flores is also noted as the only head coach to win a Super Bowl with the same team in two cities in Oakland (1980) and Los Angeles (1983).

In Their Own Story

The path to glory for Flores began long before he took the helm as head coach. As a former player, he contributed to the Raiders' foundation during their early years. His transition from the field to the sidelines proved successful when he guided the team to its first Super Bowl win in 1980. He followed this with another victory in 1983, solidifying his status as a winning leader. The source notes that of the 25 head coaches in franchise history across Oakland, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, only Flores and Shell have coached in both the Oakland and Los Angeles markets. While Art Shell was inducted as a player in 1989, Flores joined him in the Hall of Fame much later, in 2021, recognized for his contributions specifically as a coach.

Reader's Guide

Flores was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021 as a head coach. He is not enshrined as a player. The source does not state that he is one of only two former Raiders players to reach the Hall of Fame alongside Art Shell; it only lists Shell as a former Raider inducted as a player.

Did You Know?

• Flores won Super Bowl IV as a player for the Kansas City Chiefs, not the Raiders.
• He was the first minority head coach to win a Super Bowl, winning twice with the Raiders.
• Flores served as a color commentator for the Raiders Radio Network from 1997 until 2018.