John Rauch, seen in 1966, coached Oakland, Buffalo and the Toronto Argonauts. (Associated Press file)

John Rauch, who coached the Oakland Raiders to a berth in the second Super Bowl, has died at age 80.

Rauch's wife, Jane, said he died in his sleep at his Oldsmar, Fla., home, possibly due to a heart problem.

Rauch was 33-8-1 in three seasons as Raiders coach, from 1966-68. With future Super Bowl winners John Madden and Bill Walsh on staff as assistant coaches, he led the Raiders to a 13-1 record in 1967 and a berth in the Super Bowl.

Oakland lost to Green Bay in the Super Bowl, with Rauch named AFC coach of the year.

"Our hearts go out to his family who we knew well," the Raiders said in a statement. "John Rauch gave us several great years as an assistant and head coach for the Oakland Raiders, and he took us to our first Super Bowl in 1967. They were memorable years for the Raiders, and they will never be forgotten and they should not be forgotten."

Rauch was a Raiders assistant coach for three years before he was named to follow owner Al Davis as head coach — no easy task — after Davis became commissioner of the American Football League.

"John did quite well, no question about it," said Hall of Fame defender Willie Brown, who played for Rauch in 1967-68.

"He had learned from Mr. Davis the necessary things to be a coach. Mr. Davis was pleased with it, I was pleased with it. He took us to the Super Bowl. All the players loved him. We all stood behind him and played hard for him."

Tensions with Davis grew and Rauch left to coach the Buffalo Bills in 1969, O.J. Simpson's rookie season. Rauch lasted two years in the job.

Sandwiched between assistant coaching jobs with Philadelphia and Atlanta was a stint as coach with the CFL's Toronto Argonauts. He went 10-9-2 with the Argos.

Rauch was the second pick in the 1949 NFL draft out of the University of Georgia and played four seasons with the New York Bulldogs.,

Rauch was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.