Dick Hoak: key obituary facts
Is Dick Hoak dead? Yes. Dick Hoak died on November 11, 2026, at age 86.
Cause of death: Dick Hoak's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Dick Hoak known for?
He was an American football player and coach.
More about Dick Hoak
Born: 8 December 1939.
Place of birth: Jeannette.
Gender: male.
Nationality: United States.
Education: Pennsylvania State University.
Also known as: Richard John Hoak.
Dick Hoak, an American football player and coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, died November 11, 2026, aged 86.
Born Richard John Hoak in Jeannette, Pennsylvania, he played college football at Penn State before the Steelers selected him in the seventh round of the 1961 NFL draft. He played running back for Pittsburgh from 1961 through 1970, then joined the team’s coaching staff in 1972.
Hoak remained a Steelers coach through 2007, becoming the longest-tenured coach in the franchise’s history. His professional career with the organization thus included both a decade as a player and more than three decades on the coaching staff. Before college, Hoak starred at Jeannette High School as a quarterback and defensive back. In 1956, he helped lead the school to a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Class 3A title and earned All-State and All-WPIAL recognition. He also played basketball for three years, led the team in scoring as a senior and set a school single-game scoring record with 39 points. Hoak earned All-WPIAL and All-Section honors in basketball and received three letters in track before graduating in 1957. His path from a multisport high school athlete to a Penn State football player and then a long-serving Steelers coach traced a career closely connected to Pittsburgh’s professional team.