Art Shell
A foundational Raider whose quiet dominance as a player paved the way for his groundbreaking role as the NFL's first Black head coach of the modern era.
Born 1946 (age 80)·American football player and coach·Birthday: November 26·Baby Boomers
Biography
Art Shell didn't just play football; he embodied the Raider ethos of toughness and excellence for over a decade as an offensive tackle, protecting quarterbacks and clearing paths with a consistency that earned him eight Pro Bowl selections. His playing career, spent entirely with the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders, was one of sustained physical mastery. That legacy, however, was forever altered in 1989 when Raiders owner Al Davis named him head coach. In that moment, Shell shattered a decades-long barrier, becoming the first African American head coach in the NFL since the league's early days. His tenure, which included a Coach of the Year award and a playoff run, was measured not just in wins but in the profound door he kicked open, changing the conversation about leadership in professional sports forever.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Art was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Art Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Art's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first African American head coach in the NFL's modern era when appointed by the Los Angeles Raiders in 1989.
- Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989 for his career as an offensive tackle.
- Won the NFL Coach of the Year award in 1990 after leading the Raiders to a 12-4 record.
- Played in 207 regular season games for the Raiders across 15 seasons, earning eight Pro Bowl selections.
Did You Know?
He was part of two Super Bowl-winning Raiders teams as a player (XI and XV).
He returned for a second stint as head coach of the Raiders in 2006.
In college at Maryland State, he played both offensive and defensive line.
“You have to be able to look in the mirror and know you did everything you could to prepare to win.”
