Pittsburgh icon: Former Steeler Hoak never strayed far from home in lengthy career as player, coach
Dick Hoak runs the ball for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hoak played 10 years with the Steelers and eventually joined their coaching staff, first under Chuck Noll and then Bill Cowher, where he earned five Super Bowl rings. (Submitted photo)
Bill Priatko (left) and George Von Benko (right) pose for a photo with Dick Hoak during a recent visit. Hoak helped Jeannette win the 1956 WPIAL football championship. He went on to star at Penn State and played 10 years with the Steelers before eventually joining their coaching staff and earning five Super Bowl rings. (Submitted photo)
Submitted photo
Dick Hoak (right) poses with Dick LeBeau. Both were on the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff at the time. The Steelers won four Super Bowls with Hoak on the staff under head coach Chuck Noll and was the only coach Bill Cowher retained when he took over, helping Hoak earn a fifth Super Bowl ring.
I had the pleasure of chatting with a living Pittsburgh icon, Dick Hoak, on Thursday. My friend Bill Priatko and I journeyed to an assisted living facility in Greensburg and spent over an hour with the 83-year old Hoak.
Even though he was in a wheelchair Hoak was still pretty sharp as we talked football and about his amazing career as a player and a coach.
Yeah, this is my home,鈥 Hoak stated. 鈥淚鈥檓 hanging in there.鈥
Hoak was born in Jeannette in 1939 and was an outstanding athlete for the Jeannette Jayhawks playing football, baseball and basketball. Hoak was the team鈥檚 quarterback and helped it win the 1956 WPIAL Class AAA title. Jeannette nipped Charleroi, 16-13, on a Jim Burzio field goal.
鈥淚 played against a future teammate in Myron Pottios in that game,鈥 Hoak recalled. 鈥淏ack then it was a lot of fun, you didn鈥檛 find a lot of the kids getting in trouble like they do now.
鈥淚 remember a lot of things about the game. We were all nervous going into the game. We played against Pottios. Later on, he and I were both drafted by the Steelers and played together. I have a lot of good memories. One of the biggest memories was the game was played at Latrobe when we played Charleroi for the WPIAL championship. The game was supposed to be played at Pitt Stadium, but for some reason they had a scheduling conflict and it was played at Latrobe.鈥
When Hoak graduated from Jeannette he went to Penn State in 1957.
鈥淧enn State probably was always the choice,鈥 Hoak explained. 鈥淭hey were one of the first ones to come after me. I went up there and I just fell in love with the place. I really liked playing there. The guy that recruited me to Penn State was Earl Bruce,鈥 Hoak offered. 鈥淲hen I went up there he was the freshman coach.鈥
Hoak was a versatile performer for Coach Rip Engle鈥檚 Nittany Lions.
鈥淚n high school I played halfback and then I went back and played quarterback full time my senior year,鈥 Hoak recalled. 鈥淭hen I went up to Penn State and as a freshman I played quarterback. As a sophomore I went back to halfback, sophomore year and junior year. Then my senior year I went back to quarterback. I transitioned well. I could play both positions.鈥
Hoak was team MVP at Penn State as a senior and led the Nittany Lions to a 7-3 record and a 41-12 win over Oregon in the Liberty Bowl. He ran for two touchdowns and tossed a touchdown pass. He also had two interceptions.
Hoak was selected by the Steelers in the seventh round of the 1961 NFL Draft,
鈥淚 was really grateful that the Steelers drafted me,鈥 Hoak said. 鈥淭he day of the draft I just kept watching that board to see where I was going to go.鈥
With Pittsburgh, Hoak put his nose to the grindstone and earned playing time.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 going to sit on the bench, you had to play,鈥 Hoak stated. 鈥淵ou had to make your mark.鈥
He made his mark. Hoak had an impressive career, amassing 3,965 rushing yards in 1132 attempts (3.5 avg) with 25 touchdowns. He also caught 146 passes for 1,452 yards (9.9 avg) and 8 touchdowns. He was named to one Pro Bowl and led the team in rushing three times. He retired after the 1970 season.
Hoak is remembered for being able to throw the halfback option pass.
鈥淥h yeah, back then that was something and everybody said, oh look at that,鈥 Hoak chuckled. 鈥淵eah, I could throw the halfback option well and that really helped that I could do that. Being able to do that kept me ahead of others on the depth chart. I could throw the option pass. Now days that is old school.
鈥淣ow they鈥檝e opened the game up wider. They are going to throw the ball.鈥
When Hoak retired in 1970 he got into coaching.
鈥淚 coached one year at Wheeling Catholic,鈥 Hoak recalled. 鈥淭hen the Steelers brought me in as an assistant coach under Chuck Noll. It was a great period in Steeler history. We had some great teams back then. I coached and got five Super Bowl rings.鈥
Hoak was the only coach retained by Bill Cowher in 1992. Hoak spent 45 years with the Steelers as a player and an assistant coach. He was surprised that he had that kind of longevity.
鈥淣o, I never thought that at all,鈥 Hoak said. 鈥淚 kept playing and then coaching and tried to do everything for my family. I鈥檓 happy it happened the way it did. This is my home, I never had to leave. I had opportunities to go other places, but I liked working for the organization and, like I said, it was my home. One of the things I鈥檓 very happy with is I had three kids and I never had to move them all around the country and that was big for me.
鈥淚 had opportunities to go some places as a coordinator, but I turned them down. I鈥檓 very appreciative of the Rooneys and what the did for me and to Coach Noll and Coach Cowher for keeping me there.鈥
Hoak is in the Steelers Hall of Honor, the Jeannette High School Hall of Fame and the WPIAL Hall of Fame. He has also been inducted into the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
Now in his twilight years, Hoak lost his wife Lynn who passed away in 2019.
Looking back at a lengthy and historic career, Hoak is proud that he accomplished everything in his home area.
鈥淚t always was an honor to work for the Rooneys,鈥 said Hoak. 鈥淭hey always treated me with respect and it was always a pleasure to go to work every day for them.鈥