Dick Hoak, longtime Steelers running back and coach, dies at 86

LATROBE, PA - Dick Hoak of the Pittsburgh Steelers talks to running back Rich Erenberg during summer training camp on a practice field on the campus of Saint Vincent College in August 1984. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)George Gojkovich via Getty ImagesFormer Pittsburgh Steelers running back and coach Dick Hoak has died, the team announced on Wednesday. He was 86 years old.Hoak, who was born just outside Pittsburgh in Jeannette, Pennsylvania, was a seventh-round pick by the Steelers in the 1961 NFL draft out of Penn State. He would play all 10 of his seasons in the league with the franchise. In 1968, he was named to the Pro Bowl after rushing for a career-high 858 yards.Following the 1970 season, Hoak announced his retirement. At the time, he was second on the franchise's all-time rushing list with 3,965 yards. He also finished with 25 touchdowns.“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dick Hoak, a legendary member of the Pittsburgh Steelers family,” said Steelers President Art Rooney II 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.“He was respected and admired by everyone who had the privilege of knowing and working with him. His legacy includes coaching some of the all-time great Steelers, including Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Jerome Bettis, and Willie Parker.“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Hoak family during this difficult time. He will always be remembered as a valued member of the Steelers family.”Chuck Noll hired Hoak two years later as the team's running backs coach. He would hold that position for 35 years, working with the likes of Harris, Bleier and Bettis, among others while being a part of five Super Bowl-winning teams.Hoak retired after the 2006 NFL season and in 2017 was part of the inaugural class in the Steelers Hall of Honor.In 2025, Hoak was honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame with its Award of Excellence, which recognizes significant contributors to the game in “behind-the-scenes” roles.“I was pretty lucky,” Hoak said in a 2020 interview with the Steelers website. “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.“If I needed anything, I knew everybody. And I didn’t want to move my kids around. Once you start that, I didn’t want to do that. I was fortunate enough to go back to my hometown, live there all my life. I didn’t have to move my kids. They all turned out pretty good. That’s all I needed.”