Hoak, LeBeau reflect on remarkable coaching careers
The National Football League has embarked on it’s 97th season. Which makes the story of two former Pittsburgh Steelers assistant coaches even more remarkable.
Dick Hoak, who retired from coaching in 2007, spent 45 years with the Steelers as a player and coach. Dick LeBeau, who turned 80 years old on Sept. 9, is still going strong as defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans.
LeBeau joined the Titans after his second stint as defensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers for 11 seasons (2004-2014). Overall, he spent 13 seasons (also 1995-96) as defensive coordinator for the Steelers where he served as the architect of the Steelers famed “Zone Blitz,” and the accomplishments during those 13 seasons are staggering: 10 top-five defensive rankings, five seasons as the league’s number one defense (2004-07-08-11-12), four AFC Championships, two Super Bowl wins (XL & XLIII) and nine playoff appearances. He was also defensive backfield coach for the Steelers from 1992-1994.
LeBeau is in his 59th year in the NFL as a player or coach (46th year). Hoak and LeBeau have a combined 104 years in the NFL.
“Dick Hoak spent 45 years with one organization,” LeBeau marveled. “That will probably never happen again.”
“I’m happy it happened the way it did,” Hoak said. “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’m 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.
“I had opportunities to go some places as a coordinator, but I turned them down. I’m very appreciative of the Rooney’s and what the did for me and to Coach Noll and Coach Cowher for keeping me there.”
In a profession where assistant coaches are like nomads going from one team to another and rarely survive a coaching change, Hoak remained with the same organization for five decades, both as a player and position coach. Since Chuck Noll was hired in 1969 only he, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin have led the Black and Gold. Coaching continuity at the top is a big reason the Steelers have been successful.
“You keep your same system,” Hoak stated. “You don’t change things around, the players don’t have to learn a different offense every year. You stay with the system and when you find something that works you keep doing it.”
The ageless wonder, Hall of Famer LeBeau rolls on and he shows no signs of slowing down. He is starting his third year with the Titans.
“I’m amazed that he is still going strong,” Hoak said. “I’m not amazed that he’s doing it because I know he could do it. Dick always took care of himself and he’s always in great shape. The physical part you can do that, but what is amazing is the mental part of it. The hours you have to put in, it’s not an easy job. You spend a lot of hours and people think when the season’s over you don’t do anything until the next season, but you still work a lot of hours during the day. He likes it. He loves it and has the energy level.”
“I had the honor of being in Pittsburgh for so many years,” LeBeau stated. “It doesn’t seem like that long ago that I was there, but I like Nashville, it’s a good town and the players are playing hard and I’m happy to be here and happy to have a job.”
LeBeau has seen it all and says the game remains the same.
“The X’s and O’s, you only have 11 guys and there’s only so many places you can put them,” LeBeau said. “I suppose if you went to Carolina or down to Miami or Atlanta you’d have the similar type X’s and O’s, but they have different words.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes, but the basic ingredient in football is not going to change. Somebody is carrying the ball and you’ve got to find him and get him on the ground and if you are the offensive guy you’ve got to protect him and get him across that goal line, that can never change. So it’s always going to be blocking, tackling and execution. The ability to throw and catch has increased more, but it’s still football and I don’t think that’s going to change.”
LeBeau works on a year-to-year basis, but he hasn’t lost his zest for the game.
“I’d be doing something, you’ve got to do something in this world,” LeBeau offered. “You’ve got to work and I’ve always loved coaching and I’ve loved teaching and I really don’t pay any attention to age and I’ve said that several times when I’ve spoken. Age is really just a number and chronological age and physiological age are just two different things and my parents and my ancestors and the good Lord gave me some good genes and I don’t intend to abuse ’em any sooner than I have to. I’m going to get as many miles out of them as I can, and I just go to work.”
Hoak and LeBeau are what is right about athletics.
Recently the Steelers introduced the inaugural class of the team’s new Hall of Honor, and 27 of the team’s most famous names were in that first class, including Hoak.
“It meant a lot to be in there with some of the great players who played this game,” Hoak explained. “It’s nice that the Steelers have done that, I think it’s about time because I used to go to the stadiums and I’d see they had a ring of honor and the Steelers never had it. I thought it was a great idea and I’m very honored to have been selected in the first class.”
It’s a given that some time in the future LeBeau will join Hoak and the other Steelers greats.
George Von Benko’s “Memory Lane” column appears in the Monday editions of the Herald-Standard. He also hosts a sports talk show on WMBS-AM radio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.