PITTSBURGH, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Pittsburgh Steelers running back coach Dick Hoak, who has been with the organization for 45 years, has retired.
Hoak, 67, joined the Steelers after they drafted him as a running back out of Penn State in 1961. He played for 10 seasons, earning one Pro Bowl berth, before becoming the team's running back coach in 1971. He had that position for 35 years, working under Coach Chuck Noll for 20 years and then under current Coach Bill Cowher.
"Dick Hoak is one of the most special people to have ever been associated with the Steelers organization," Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney said Tuesday. "He was an outstanding player for us and should be recognized as one of the greatest running backs coaches in NFL history."
Pittsburgh led the league in rushing four times during Hoak's coaching tenure and was in the top five in rushing 16 times. He is the only one to be a member of all five of the Steelers' Super Bowl titles.
