Dick Hoak, a longtime Pittsburgh Steelers running back and assistant coach who spent 45 years with the franchise, has died at age 86.
The team announced the death Wednesday. No cause was given.
Steelers President Art Rooney II said in a statement, “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, a native of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, played quarterback, running back and safety at Penn State before the Steelers selected him in the seventh round of the 1961 NFL Draft.
He appeared in 135 games over 10 seasons as a running back from 1961 to 1970. Hoak rushed for 3,965 yards and 25 touchdowns on 1,132 carries while adding 146 receptions for 1,452 yards and eight scores.
He earned a Pro Bowl selection in 1968, when he led the Steelers in rushing for one of three seasons in which he paced the team in that category. Hoak retired as the franchise’s second-leading rusher at the time.
After a brief stint away from the game, Hoak returned in 1972 as the Steelers’ running backs coach under Chuck Noll. He held the position through the 2006 season, working under both Noll and Bill Cowher.
Hoak was the only assistant retained when Cowher took over as head coach in 1992. He remained with the organization until retiring after the 2006 campaign.
As a coach, Hoak was part of five Super Bowl championship teams: Super Bowls IX, X, XIII, XIV and XL. Those titles came in the 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979 and 2005 seasons.
He coached Hall of Fame running backs Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis, along with Rocky Bleier and Willie Parker. During Hoak’s coaching tenure, the Steelers accumulated more than 30,000 rushing yards and led the NFL in that category three times.
Hoak was inducted into the Steelers Hall of Honor as part of the inaugural class in 2017. He also received the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Award of Excellence in 2025.
Rooney’s statement continued, “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’s 45 years with the Steelers made him the longest-tenured non-owner in team history. He was among a small group of individuals who earned Super Bowl rings with the franchise in both the 1970s and 2000s.
The Steelers said their thoughts and prayers were with the Hoak family.
