Dick Hoak, a Steelers and Penn State fixture who spent nearly half a century around Pittsburgh football, has died at 86, the Steelers announced.
Hoak’s connection to the franchise ran deep. He played running back for Pittsburgh from 1961 through 1970, then moved straight into coaching after his playing days ended.
By 1972, he was on Chuck Noll’s staff as the running backs coach, a role he kept until 2006. In all, Hoak spent 45 seasons with the organization and won five Super Bowls along the way.
As a player, Hoak put together a career that left a real mark on the Steelers’ record book. He finished with 3,965 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns, plus 1,452 receiving yards and eight more scores. When his playing career ended, he stood as the second-leading rusher in team history.
His impact only grew on the sideline. During his years coaching the Steelers’ backs, players including Hall of Famers Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis piled up more than 30,000 total rushing yards. Hoak was involved in 742 games in Steelers organizational history.
Before Pittsburgh, Hoak was already a name around western Pennsylvania football. The Jeanette native grew up near Pittsburgh and helped lead Jeannette to the WPIAL 3A title in 1956, when he was also named All-State.
At Penn State, he played both running back and safety. His 1960 season included Liberty Bowl MVP honors after Penn State’s win over Oregon, a game in which he threw and passed for two touchdowns each while intercepting two more passes on defense.
The Steelers selected Hoak in the seventh round of the 1961 NFL Draft.
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