Steelers Assistant Coach to Retire After 35 Years (1 Viewer)

[crowe1130]

Pretty impressive career longevity:

**** Hoak, a Pittsburgh Steelers player or coach all but one season since 1961, is retiring after an NFL-record 35 continuous seasons as a Steelers assistant coach.

The 67-year-old Hoak was the only assistant coach to work for Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher. Hoak was the offensive backfield coach for all but three of Noll's 23 seasons as head coach, then worked the last 15 seasons under Cowher as the running backs coach.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=...65816&rfi=6Sounds like Cowher won't be far behind:

The Bill Cowher countdown began for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who may soon be looking for a new coach for only the second time since 1969.

The Steelers, the first Super Bowl winner in four years to miss the playoffs the following season, held their final team meeting with Cowher on Jan. 1. Some players felt it was exactly that -- the last time they will meet with Cowher, who is clearly leaning toward resigning after 15 seasons in Pittsburgh.

"I didn't cry. I almost did, but I didn't," linebacker Joey Porter. "Yeah, it was emotional because that's my guy."

Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca sensed it was Cowher's goodbye, saying it was evident during the Steelers' 23-17 overtime victory Dec. 31 at Cincinnati and again Jan. 1 that Cowher may be moving on.

http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/PIT/9901889

 

[BigSteelThrill]

/salute

Hoak is the only Steelers on-field employee with five Super Bowl rings...

 

[Memphis Foundry]

From an old Post-Gazette article:

Hoak wears the last two [super Bowl Rings] -- one on each hand -- of the four he earned as a coach with the 1970s Steelers every Saturday night before games. Why then?

"We won them, what do you want me to do, keep them in a drawer?" said Hoak, who also wears his rings during the offseason. Hoak shows them to players when they ask, but does not make a point of displaying them as motivation.

GB **** Hoak.

 

[Godsbrother]

I actually went to a few games when **** Hoak was a RB for the Steelers -- that is really going back. Hoak was a good coach and a nice guy. He'll be missed.

As far as Cowher goes, the vibe I am getting is that it is about the money. Cowher has has given this plenty of thought -- if he was set on retiring he would have announced it already.

He declined to tell his players if he was leaving and his agent has been in contact with the Steelers. It looks to me like Cowher is using his leverage to try and get a big money contract out of the Rooneys. If they throw enough money his way he will stay, otherwise he will retire for a few years and come back when another owner waves a boatload of cash at him.

So I think it comes down to whether or not the Steelers want to pay the price to keep him. We'll see...

 

[Iron Mike Tomczak]

Cowher is worth every last cent/million $'s.

I pray this is just a classy way of holding out.

He'll get his dollars.....I hope.

 

[pfalvey]

I actually went to a few games when **** Hoak was a RB for the Steelers -- that is really going back. Hoak was a good coach and a nice guy. He'll be missed.As far as Cowher goes, the vibe I am getting is that it is about the money. Cowher has has given this plenty of thought -- if he was set on retiring he would have announced it already.He declined to tell his players if he was leaving and his agent has been in contact with the Steelers. It looks to me like Cowher is using his leverage to try and get a big money contract out of the Rooneys. If they throw enough money his way he will stay, otherwise he will retire for a few years and come back when another owner waves a boatload of cash at him.So I think it comes down to whether or not the Steelers want to pay the price to keep him. We'll see...

You know, I just can't understand why Cowher would do this. He's already making around $4 million and is the HC of a team w/ stable ownership, one that is committed to winning and offers something most other professional sports teams don't, long-term job security. The Rooney's won't make him the highest paid coach, but I'm sure they'll give him a significant raise. I can't understand throwing that away for a couple more million dollars, when he can coach in Pittsburgh for more than $4mil.

 

[Godsbrother]

You know, I just can't understand why Cowher would do this. He's already making around $4 million and is the HC of a team w/ stable ownership, one that is committed to winning and offers something most other professional sports teams don't, long-term job security. The Rooney's won't make him the highest paid coach, but I'm sure they'll give him a significant raise. I can't understand throwing that away for a couple more million dollars, when he can coach in Pittsburgh for more than $4mil.

Did you ever work for a company where you had coworkers making more money than you while you worked as hard as them, accomplished as much as them and were on the job longer? It gets to you.Now imagine the same situation but also having the means to never having to work another day in your life if you don't want to and if you ever do decide to go back to work you will get as much or more than any one else in your profession.

 

[SteelerMurf]

I don't think it is about money cause I don't think Cowher even wanted to negotiate before this last season. maybe I am wrong, but I always heard there were no negotiations.

Cowher has said that after last season he strongly considered retiring. My guess is soon before the season started, he really wished he would have retired. I think he is a little worn down. He didn't look himself the first half of the season.

I mean, he tore into Colon this past weekend for his personal foul (rightfully so), yet all during the first half of the season they were getting those same penalties over and over again and Cowher just kinda stood there.

I think the Steelers will be fine without Cowher. IF they go inside with Whiz or Grimm that means everything stays the same. If they go with new blood, I kinda like the idea of fresh philosophy. Defensive coordinator from Bears or the coach of Iowa would be great.

 

[Godsbrother]

I don't think it is about money cause I don't think Cowher even wanted to negotiate before this last season. maybe I am wrong, but I always heard there were no negotiations.Cowher has said that after last season he strongly considered retiring. My guess is soon before the season started, he really wished he would have retired. I think he is a little worn down. He didn't look himself the first half of the season.I mean, he tore into Colon this past weekend for his personal foul (rightfully so), yet all during the first half of the season they were getting those same penalties over and over again and Cowher just kinda stood there. I think the Steelers will be fine without Cowher. IF they go inside with Whiz or Grimm that means everything stays the same. If they go with new blood, I kinda like the idea of fresh philosophy. Defensive coordinator from Bears or the coach of Iowa would be great.

There were negotiations going on until Cowher broke them off in August. Then a couple of weeks ago Cowher's agent was talking to the Steelers again. This tells me that Cowher is open to stay if the price is right (there may also be some other non-financial issues as well). I could be offbase here but that is my take on it.

 

[Franknbeans]

 

[2112]

IF they go inside with Whiz or Grimm that means everything stays the same. If they go with new blood, I kinda like the idea of fresh philosophy. Defensive coordinator from Bears or the coach of Iowa would be great.

If they do go with new blood....me likey some Jim Mora.

 

[Godsbrother]

IF they go inside with Whiz or Grimm that means everything stays the same. If they go with new blood, I kinda like the idea of fresh philosophy. Defensive coordinator from Bears or the coach of Iowa would be great.

If they do go with new blood....me likey some Jim Mora.

Why? After his first season the Falcons went 15-17 and the past two years they faded down the stretch after getting off to good starts. I would rather see Whisenhunt.

 

[pfalvey]

You know, I just can't understand why Cowher would do this. He's already making around $4 million and is the HC of a team w/ stable ownership, one that is committed to winning and offers something most other professional sports teams don't, long-term job security. The Rooney's won't make him the highest paid coach, but I'm sure they'll give him a significant raise. I can't understand throwing that away for a couple more million dollars, when he can coach in Pittsburgh for more than $4mil.

Did you ever work for a company where you had coworkers making more money than you while you worked as hard as them, accomplished as much as them and were on the job longer? It gets to you.Now imagine the same situation but also having the means to never having to work another day in your life if you don't want to and if you ever do decide to go back to work you will get as much or more than any one else in your profession.

I guess then it really would be ONLY about the money. Certainly the environment one works in and the competence and stablity of the organization should be worth something, shouldn't it? Cowher's had down years where he might have been fired by most other short-sighted NFL teams, but that's not how the Rooney's do things. And despite their perception as being frugile, they always seem able to put talented players on the field. At the very least, I would think Cowher would place some kind of monetary value to this, but then he might not get as much money. So, in the end, it really is only about the money. As a Steelers fan I've always liked Cowher, but he's replaceable and if money is the primary motivating factor in coaching the Steelers I think maybe it's time for the Steelers and Cowher to part ways.