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Chuck Noll
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Chuck Noll | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | January 5, 1932 (age 75) |
| Place of birth |  Cleveland, Ohio |
| Position(s) | Head Coach Guard Linebacker |
| College | Dayton |
| NFL Draft | 1953 / Round 20/ Pick 239 |
| Career Highlights | |
| Awards | 1972 UPI AFC Coach of the Year 1989 Maxwell Football Club NFL Coach of the Year |
| Honors | NFL 1980s All-Decade Team |
| Career Record | 209-156-1 (Including Postseason) |
| Super Bowl Wins |
1979 Season, '80 Super Bowl Super Bowl XIV 1978 Season, '79 Super Bowl Super Bowl XIII 1975 Season Super Bowl X 1974 SeasonSuper Bowl IX |
| Championships Won |
1979 AFC Championship 1978 AFC Championship 1975 AFC Championship 1974 AFC Championship |
| Stats | |
| Playing Stats | DatabaseFootball |
| Coaching Stats | Pro Football Reference |
| Coaching Stats | DatabaseFootball |
| Team(s) as a player | |
| 1953-1959 | Cleveland Browns |
| Team(s) as a coach/administrator | |
| 1960 1961-1965 1966-1968 1969-1991 |
Los Angeles Chargers (Defensive Assistant) San Diego Chargers (Defensive Assistant) Baltimore Colts (Defensive Backfield) Pittsburgh Steelers (Head Coach) |
| Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1993 | |
Charles Henry Noll (born January 5, 1932) is a former American football coach, having served as the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League from 1969 to 1991.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Noll attended Benedictine High School where he played running back and tackle winning All-State honors. He won a football scholarship to the University of Dayton. Noll was drafted by the Cleveland Browns football team in 1953. He played for the Browns until his retirement in 1959 at the age of 27.
Noll served as assistant coach for the San Diego Chargers and the Baltimore Colts before becoming the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach. Notably, he was the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Colts (serving under then head coach Don Shula) during their 13-1 season in 1968, in which the team set an NFL record of fewest points allowed (144). The 1968 Colts won the NFL championship by stomping the Cleveland Browns 34-0 in Cleveland. The heavily favored Colts were shocked by the upstart AFL champion New York Jets 16-7 in Super Bowl III at the Orange Bowl in Miami. Noll took the 4-3 defense he ran in Baltimore and implemented a similar defensive system in Pittsburgh, which became the infamous "Steel Curtain" defense.
Chuck Noll was named the 14th head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 27, 1969, after Penn State coach Joe Paterno turned down an offer to be Steelers head coach. Noll is the only head coach to win four Super Bowls, coaching the Steelers to victory in Super Bowl IX (1975), Super Bowl X (1976), Super Bowl XIII (1979), and Super Bowl XIV (1980).
The key to Noll's coaching success during this unprecedented run was the Steelers skill in selecting outstanding players in the NFL college player draft. Noll's first #1 pick was Joe Greene, a defensive tackle from North Texas State, who went on to become a perennial All-Pro and anchor the defensive line. During the next few years, the Steelers drafted QB Terry Bradshaw (Louisiana Tech) and RB Franco Harris (Penn State) with their #1 picks. In the 1974 draft, Noll and the Steelers achieved a level of drafting success never seen before or since, when they selected 4 Hall of Famers with their first 4 picks - WR Lynn Swann, MLB Jack Lambert, C Mike Webster, and WR John Stallworth. To this day, no other draft by any team has included more than 2 future Hall of Famers. The Steelers were so successful drafting players that the 1979 roster which won Super Bowl XIV, consisted entirely of players who had never played so much as a down for any other team.
The hallmark of the team during the 1970s was a stifling defense known as the Steel Curtain, loaded with All-Pros. The starting 11 (linemen L.C. Greenwood, Joe Greene, Ernie Holmes (later Steve Furness), Dwight White, linebackers Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, Andy Russell (later Loren Toews), DBs Mel Blount, J.T. Thomas, and safeties Glen Edwards (later Donnie Shell) and Mike Wagner had a collective level of talent unseen before in the NFL.
The teams that won Super Bowls IX and X used a run-oriented offense, primarily featuring Franco Harris and blocking back Rocky Bleier. Over the next few years Terry Bradshaw matured into an outstanding passer, and the teams that won Super Bowls XIII and XIV featured a lot of passing to the WR tandem of Lynn Swann and John Stallworth.
Noll was never a coach who sought a lot of media attention, and the 1970s teams were so talented, that Noll's contribution as head coach (and as the architect of the team) often seem to be over-looked.
In 1989, he finally achieved some recognition as NFL Coach of the Year, when he guided the Steelers into the second round of the playoffs. The team was not especially talented, and lost their first two regular season games by scores of 52-0 and 42-10. Noll did a remarkable job in keeping the team focused and steadily improving their play, as they made the playoffs and played competitively in two playoff games.
Noll retired as Steelers head coach in 1991 after a record of 209-156-1. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.
Chuck Noll's legacy included providing opportunity for African-Americans. Under Noll, Joe Gilliam became the league's first African American starting quarterback (starting ahead of Terry Bradshaw briefly during the 1973 season). During the 1980s, Tony Dungy got his start as an NFL assistant coach, initially serving as Steelers Defensive Backs Coach, and later promoted to Defensive Coordinator. Chuck Noll strongly promoted Dungy as a qualified Head Coaching Candidate. It did not happen with the Steelers when Noll retired after the 1991 season, however Dungy did become head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and later became the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl (XLI) with the Indianapolis Colts.
Chuck Noll still has a residence in suburban Pittsburgh. However, he spends most of his time at homes in Florida and North Carolina. His mobility has been limited by chronic back problems. Noll holds the ceremonial title of Administration Advisor in the Pittsburgh Steelers' front office, but has had no real role in the team's operations since his retirement.
| Franchise | Season | Wins | Losses | Ties | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1969 | 1 | 13 | 0 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1970 | 5 | 9 | 0 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1971 | 6 | 8 | 0 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1972 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1-1 record (Won 13-7 VS. OAKLAND RAIDERS(Immaculate Reception game), Lost 17-21 VS. MIAMI DOLPHINS) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1973 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0-1 record (Lost 14-33 @ Oakland Raiders) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1974 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 3-0 record (Won 32-14 VS. BUFFALO BILLS, Won 24-13 @ Oakland Raiders, Won 16-6 vs. Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans : SB IX) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1975 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 3-0 record (Won 28-10 VS. BALTIMORE COLTS, Won 16-10 VS. OAKLAND RAIDERS, Won 21-17 vs. Dallas Cowboys @ Miami : SB X) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1976 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 1-1 record (Won 40-14 @ Baltimore Colts, Lost 7-24 @ Oakland Raiders) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1977 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0-1 record (Lost 21-34 @ Denver Broncos) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1978 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 3-0 record (Won 33-10 VS. DENVER BRONCOS, Won 34-5 VS. HOUSTON OILERS, Won 35-31 vs. Dallas Cowboys @ Miami : SB XIII) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1979 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 3-0 record (Won 34-14 VS. MIAMI DOLPHINS, Won 27-13 VS. HOUSTON OILERS, Won 31-19 vs. Los Angeles Rams @ Pasadena : SB XIV) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1980 | 9 | 7 | 0 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1981 | 8 | 8 | 0 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1982 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0-1 record (Lost 28-31 VS. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1983 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 0-1 record (Lost 10-38 @ Los Angeles Raiders) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1984 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 1-1 record (Won 24-17 @ Denver Broncos, Lost 28-45 @ Miami Dolphins) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1985 | 7 | 9 | 0 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1986 | 6 | 10 | 0 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1987 | 8 | 7 | 0 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1988 | 5 | 11 | 0 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1989 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 1-1 record (Won 26-23/OT @ Houston Oilers, Lost 23-24 @ Denver Broncos) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1990 | 9 | 7 | 0 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1991 | 7 | 9 | 0 | |
| Career Totals | n/a | 209 | 156 | 1 | 16-8 record (Four Super Bowl victories) |
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Member profile
| Preceded by Bill Austin |
Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coaches 1969–1991 |
Succeeded by Bill Cowher |
| Preceded by Don Shula - Tom Landry - |
Super Bowl winning Head Coaches Super Bowl IX, 1975 Super Bowl X, 1976 Super Bowl XIII, 1979 Super Bowl XIV, 1980 |
Succeeded by - John Madden - Tom Flores |
| Pittsburgh Pirates/Steelers Head Coaches |
|---|
| Douds • DiMelio • Bach • McNally • Kiesling • Bell • Donelli • Kiesling • Leonard • Sutherland • Michelosen • Bach • Kiesling • Parker • Nixon • Austin • Noll • Cowher • Tomlin |
| National Football League | NFL's 1980s All-Decade Team |
|---|
|
Joe Montana | Dan Fouts | Walter Payton | Eric Dickerson | Roger Craig | John Riggins | Jerry Rice | Steve Largent | James Lofton | Art Monk | Kellen Winslow | Ozzie Newsome | Anthony Muñoz | Jim Covert | Gary Zimmerman | Joe Jacoby | John Hannah | Russ Grimm | Bill Fralic | Mike Munchak | Dwight Stephenson | Mike Webster | Reggie White | Howie Long | Lee Roy Selmon | Bruce Smith | Randy White | |
Categories: 1932 births | Living people | People from Cleveland | University of Dayton alumni | Dayton Flyers football players | American football offensive guards | American football linebackers | Cleveland Browns players | Los Angeles Chargers coaches | San Diego Chargers coaches | Baltimore Colts coaches | Pittsburgh Steelers coaches | NFL 1980s All-Decade Team | Pro Football Hall of Fame