About the Oakland Invaders

Team History

Based in Oakland, California, they play at the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum. The team can trace its history to 1977 when they played in the California Football League as the Twin Cities Cougars, and won four league championships (1979–1982).[1] During that time, they played their home games at the Marysville High School field.[2]

Oakland had been without a football team since the Oakland Raiders relocated to Los Angeles before the 1982 NFL season. The Invaders stepped in to fill the void; the similar name was no accident. One of the Invaders’ first player signings was former Raider and 49er Cedrick Hardman, who came out of a one-year retirement to serve as player-coach.

The team was originally owned by Bay Area real estate magnates Jim Joseph and Tad Taube. However, after the original owner of the USFL’s Los Angeles franchise, Alex Spanos, bought the San Diego Chargers instead, Joseph and Taube flipped a coin to decide who would buy the Los Angeles rights. Joseph won the toss, selling his stake in the Invaders to Taube. As it turned out, Joseph was forced to move his team to Phoenix, Arizona as the Arizona Wranglers.

Coaching Staff and Front Office

Owner: Tad Taube

Head Coach: John Ralston
Al DarbyReceivers
Bill DickeySpecial Teams
Mike DolbyDefensive Line
Ed FlanaganOffensive Line
Doug GerhartOffensive Coordinator
Mike HaluchakLinebackers
Forrest KleinAssistant Offensive Line
Ron LynnDefensive Coordinator
Ray MalavasiOffensive Line
Skip StressRunning Backs