Few coaches remain with one NFL franchise long enough to work with multiple generations of players, let alone help build a championship legacy across different eras. One Pittsburgh Steelers figure who spent 45 years with the organization, first as a running back and then as a trusted position coach, earning five Super Bowl rings, is now being laid to rest.
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The Steelers announced on Wednesday that former coach Dick Hoak had died at 86. Team president Art Rooney II paid tribute to the longtime member of the organization, remembering the impact he made in both roles.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dick Hoak, a legendary member of the Pittsburgh Steelers family. Dick was part of the foundation of this organization and played an instrumental role in shaping the Steelers as both a player and coach during his 45 years with the team.”
Hoak was a Jeannette, Pennsylvania, native who played college football at Penn State. Pittsburgh selected him in the seventh round of the 1961 NFL Draft, 90th overall. He spent his entire 10-year playing career with the Steelers, appearing in 135 games before retiring after the 1970 season.
His best season came in 1968, when Hoak rushed for a career-high 858 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. He also added 253 receiving yards and a touchdown, earning the lone Pro Bowl selection of his career.
Hoak finished his playing career with 3,965 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns. At the time of his retirement, he ranked second in franchise history in rushing yards, and remains seventh on the Steelers’ all-time list.
After stepping away from playing, Hoak briefly coached at the high school level before returning to Pittsburgh. Chuck Noll hired him as the team’s running backs coach in 1972, beginning a 35-year run in the role.
His work helped shape the careers of several notable Steelers backs, including Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Jerome Bettis and Willie Parker. Hoak served under both Noll and Bill Cowher, making him the only coach to work for both of the franchise’s legendary head coaches. Across his coaching tenure, Pittsburgh won five Super Bowls: IX, X, XIII, XIV and XL.
Rooney also recognized the loyalty and commitment that defined Hoak’s time in Pittsburgh.
“Dick represented everything the Steelers stand for with his toughness, loyalty, dedication and an unwavering commitment to the team,” Rooney said. “First as a player, then as a coach, Dick’s contributions to this organization spanned generations.”
Hoak retired following the 2006 season and was named to the inaugural class of the Steelers Hall of Honor in 2017. In 2025, the Pro Football Hall of Fame recognized him with its Award of Excellence, which celebrates contributions to football beyond the field.
His connection to the franchise was also rooted in his hometown. In a 2020 interview with the Steelers’ official website, Hoak reflected on spending his entire professional career in the same place.
“I was pretty lucky,” he said. “I played in Jeannette. I went to Penn State. I got drafted here, played here. I had some opportunities to leave. … I never left. It was my hometown.”
He added that staying close to home meant he didn’t need to move his children around. For a man whose career and life remained so closely tied to western Pennsylvania, the Steelers’ tribute reflected a legacy that extended well beyond his playing statistics.