Chuck Noll
Charles Henry Noll (January 5, 1932 – June 13, 2014) was an American professional football player and head coach. Regarded as one of the greatest head coaches of all time, his sole head coaching position was for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1969 to 1991. When Noll retired after 23 years, only three other head coaches in NFL history had longer tenures with one team.
Noll with the Cleveland Browns in 1954 | |
| No. 65 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Guard Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | January 5, 1932 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died: | June 13, 2014 (aged 82) Sewickley, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Benedictine (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| College: | Dayton |
| NFL draft: | 1953 / Round: 20 / Pick: 239 |
| Career history | |
| As a player: | |
| As a coach: | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | 193–148–1 (.566) |
| Postseason: | 16–8 (.667) |
| Career: | 209–156–1 (.572) |
| Player stats at PFR | |
| Coaching stats at PFR | |
After a seven-year playing career that included two NFL Championships as a member of his hometown Cleveland Browns and several years as an assistant coach with various teams, in 1969 Noll took the helm of the then moribund Steelers (which had played in only one post-season game in its previous 36 years, a 21–0 loss), and turned it into a perennial contender. As a head coach, Noll won four Super Bowls, four AFC titles and nine Central Division championships, compiled a 209–156–1 (.572) overall record, a 16–8 playoff record and had winning records in 15 of his final 20 seasons. His four Super Bowl victories rank second behind Bill Belichick for the most of any head coach in NFL history. His four Super Bowl wins are the most ever by a coach without a Super Bowl loss.
Between his playing and coaching tenures, Noll won a total of seven NFL Championships as well as one AFL Championship and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, his first year of eligibility.
Noll built the team through astute drafting and meticulous tutoring. During his career, he was notable for the opportunities he gave African Americans, starting the first black quarterback in franchise history and hiring one of the first black assistant coaches in league history. He was often credited with maintaining the morale of Western Pennsylvania, despite the region's steep economic decline in the late 20th century, by creating a team of champions in the image of its blue-collar fan base.