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 Darby | Receivers |
Bill Dickey | Special Teams |
Mike Dolby | Defensive Line |
Ed Flanagan | Offensive Line |
Doug Gerhart | Offensive Coordinator |
Mike Haluchak | Linebackers |
Forrest Klein | Assistant Offensive Line |
Ron Lynn | Defensive Coordinator |
Ray Malavasi | Offensive Line |
Skip Stress | Running Backs |