Former Penn State football player and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Dick Hoak has died at the age of 86, the Steelers announced Wednesday.

Hoak played at Penn State from 1958 to 1960, manning multiple positions, including quarterback, running back, and safety.

Across his three years in Happy Valley, Hoak rushed for 767 yards and eight touchdowns and threw for 454 yards and four scores. He was named team MVP after scoring two rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns in Penn State’s 41-12 victory over Oregon in the 1960 Liberty Bowl.

The Steelers selected Hoak as a running back in the seventh round of the 1961 NFL Draft. Hoak totaled 3,965 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns before retiring in 1970. He ranks No. 7 in the Steelers’ all-time rushing yards leaders.

In 1972, the Jeannette, Pennsylvania, native became the Steelers’ running back coach for the next 35 years, winning five Super Bowl rings. Hoak retired in 2007, becoming the only Steelers coach to work under both Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher.

Hoak was a member of the inaugural Steelers Hall of Honor class in 2017 and was honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame with a 2025 Award of Excellence in the assistant coach category.

About the Author

Cadyn Gill

Cadyn is a fourth-year broadcast journalism major at Penn State. Hailing from the great state of Texas, he is a die hard Dallas sports fan. You'll often see him voicing his opinions on music and sports on X/Twitter @cgill214. Contact him at [email protected].

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