Dick Hoak, who spent more than 45 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a player and assistant coach and won five Super Bowl rings, has died at the age of 86, RDS reported.
The team announced his death on Wednesday. The cause of death was not specified in the announcement.
“Dick embodied everything the Steelers represent: toughness, loyalty, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to the team,” Art Rooney II said in a statement released by the team president.
Hoak rushed for 3,965 yards and scored 25 touchdowns over 10 seasons in the Steelers backfield. He played during an era when the franchise struggled, leading the team in rushing yards three separate times.
The Steelers selected him in the seventh round of the 1961 NFL draft following a standout career at Penn State University. He earned a Pro Bowl selection in 1968 after gaining 858 yards on the ground, a career high.
Hoak retired as a player after the 1970 season. In 1972, head coach Chuck Noll hired him as the team’s running backs coach.
He remained on the coaching staff for more than three decades. During that span, he mentored Pro Football Hall of Famers Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis as the franchise transformed into one of the league’s flagship organizations.
Hoak worked under two Hall of Fame head coaches, remaining through Noll’s retirement and serving under Bill Cowher when Cowher took over in 1992.
Despite opportunities to join other organizations or climb higher into front-office roles, Hoak stayed loyal to Pittsburgh. His tenure coincided with victories in Super Bowls IX, X, XIII, XIV, and XL.
“You embodied everything about what it meant to be a Steeler,” Cowher wrote in a post on X. “Throughout my 15 years as head coach, I relied on your wisdom to grow as a coach. You played an essential role in our five Super Bowl wins. An EXCEPTIONAL man who left a mark on everyone who knew him!”
Hoak still ranks eighth on the franchise’s all-time rushing list, sitting ahead of players he later coached, including four-time Super Bowl champion Rocky Bleier and two-time Pro Bowler Barry Foster.
