The Steelers announced the death of their longtime player and coach Dick Hoak at the age of 86.
Hoak was born outside of Pittsburgh and went to Penn State before the Steelers made him a 1961 seventh-round pick. He spent 10 years as one of the team’s running backs and finished his career with 3,965 rushing yards and 1,452 receiving yards. Hoak scored 33 overall touchdowns during his time on the roster.
Hoak joined Chuck Noll’s staff as an offensive backfield coach in 1972, moved to running backs coach in 1991 and was the only one of Noll’s coaches who remained on the staff under Noll’s successor Bill Cowher. He retired in 2006 after coaching future Hall of Famers Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis and being part of five Super Bowl champions.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dick Hoak, a legendary member of the Pittsburgh Steelers family,” Steelers owner Art Rooney II said in a statement. “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. Dick represented everything the Steelers stand for with his toughness, loyalty, dedication and an unwavering commitment to the team. First as a player, then as a coach, Dick’s contributions to this organization spanned generations.”
Hoak is a member of the Steelers’ Hall of Honor and received the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Award of Excellence in 2025.