The Immortal Chuck Noll

Would have been 91 today. Steeler hats off...

 

Happy Birthday Chuck. I still drive by your house every time I visit Pittsburgh. It was great growing up in the same township as the Emporer.

 

Chuck Noll was not only a great coach but he was a starting guard on 2 of the Browns NFL champion teams back in the 1950's.

 

Happy heavenly birthday Coach Noll.

 

Happy B Day Chas. Say hello to Chuck Nox for all of us at TSF.

 

Does anyone else think that Bellechick is almost a current version of Noll (I hate BB for cheating but I respect his no nonsense style and total commitment to team first). Noll was no nonsense and their media presence is about the same no??

 

I do not personally. For that matter, to me, no way in hell are Noll and Belichick similar. Let me explain.



Noll was more than a teacher. He was a manager as he had to keep multiple personalities on the same page. While Noll was tough on discipline, he did not forbid creativity, personality or ingenuity from either coaches and players; Joe Greene's Stunt 4-3 comes to mind here. For that matter, Noll emphasized one aspect without saying it out loud; creative freedom. Be it the Stunt 4-3, Mel Blount playing either press or off to Bradshaw calling his own plays, so long as it brought success without inviting unnecessary attention, Noll had no issues or problems with those under him straying from the path of the conventional to achieve success. One important thing to note is that Dan Rooney had selected Chuck Noll not just because he belonged to a Super Bowl Staff but because of Noll's abilities to teach and guide players through the core fundamentals of the game; something many coaches were not doing as so much wanted to copy the success of Vince Lombardi... and some even taking it too far.


Belichick's philosophy has been one of the most extreme forms of totalitarianism I can ever remember in NFL History. While it is important to credit Bill for his success despite the system he employs being rigid yet precise, it is also worth noting that no one comes before him. This essentially means that unless you fall in line with what Bill Belichick tells you, you will be gone. Mind you that many Sports Outlets have praised the Patriots for finding supposed nobodies where in reality they fit Bill's ideology to the tee of what he wanted.



In short?!


Chuck Noll promoted the creativity of others through their characteristics while Bill Belichick will only promote his own brand of totalitarianism to all and shall have no form of freedom of expression in any facet. Need a better example?!


Why the HELL is Matt Patricia an Offensive Coordiantor despite having ZERO Offensive Play Calling experience?!!? This by no means equate to Tomlin getting a free pass but at least Matt Canada had some modicum of experience within Offensive Play Calling!!..... even if some of it was Offensive.

 

Belicheat has major respect for Chuck Noll.

https://www.patriots.com/news/belichick-s-past-comments-on-steelers-legend-chuck-noll-198781

 

One of the all time greats.

I recently went back and watched Super Bowl 13. Noll was talking to Roy Gerela right before a kickoff in the 4th quarter after Franco’s TD. Gerela kicks a squib right to Randy White who was playing with a cast on his hand. White fumbles, Steelers recover. Next play Bradshaw to Swann for the Circus catch and a 31-17 lead. You can see Noll smiling a player congratulating him on the great call.

We need to stop acting like Noll was not as great a tactician as Landry and Shula. Noll was simply the best; at talent eval, at coaching and at winning. In my lifetime (1971-) the only coaches in Noll’s class are Landry, Shula, Gibbs, Walsh and Belicheck. I’m too young to have see Lomabardi.

 

I agree, but I actually think Gibbs gets even less attention than Noll, and that's saying a lot.

 

IMO, Gibbs has one of the all time great accomplishments.
3 Super Bowl wins with 3 quarterbacks; Thiesmann, Rypien and Williams. All the other great coaches had a QB with whom they teamed up for success; Starr, Staubach, Griese (not great but a winner), Montana and of course Brady.

Imagine that today, winning 3 SB’s in a 10 year span with 3 QB’s. All good QB’s but none were all timers. You are correct about Gibbs being forgotten. its completely wrong.

 

He's in the NASCAR HOF also

 

Wow!!!
I didn't know that. I knew He was in Nascar at one point, but didn't realize He was in their HOF.

 

I can think of only 3 other people to be in 2 different sports HOF. Jim Thorpe is in the NFL and Track and Field HOF. Cal Hubbard was a HOF tackle back with the Curly Lambeau Packers and after retiring became a HOF MLB umpire and former Cowboy Bob Hayes who like Thorpe is in the NFL and track HOF.

 

Chuck Noll came into my life when I was a 9 year old kid when I became a Steelers fan. It feels as though he’s a favorite uncle who I looked up to and admired and who I wanted to grow up to be just like. The Steelers players were great, but he was the architect bringing all of that wonderful talent together and building the greatest football dynasty in history. He was as tough as nails when he had to be but he had an engaging smile that would put anyone at ease in his presence.

He and Bradshaw had their moments, but he was exactly the perfect head coach for Terry showing tough love when warranted and compassion and understanding when needed. In fact, he was the perfect coach for all of the players of that dynastic era. I had a sign hanging in my office many years ago that said “whatever it takes”. I found out later that Coach Noll also had a sign with the same motto hanging in his office. That made me feel good.

If you haven’t read his biography, “His Life’s Work” by Michael MacCambridge, you owe it yourself as a Steelers fan to read it. It’s a wonderful read and provides a lot of insight into how Chuck Noll evolved into the legendary coach he ultimately became.