Noll, Chuck

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Chuck Noll (Charles Henry Noll), 1932–2014, American professional football coach, b. Cleveland, B.S. Univ. of Dayton, 1953. A guard and linebacker in college and with the Cleveland Browns (1953–59), he was a defensive coach with the AFL's San Diego (initially Los Angeles) Chargers (1960–65) and the NFL's Baltimore Colts (1966–68) before he became head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Through astute draft picks and an emphasis on fundamentals, Noll turned a team that was the NFL's worst team into one that dominated the sport in the 1970s, winning four Super Bowls (1974–75, 1978–79), a record, in six years. The team also won nine AFC Central division titles. He retired as the Steelers' head coach in 1991 with a record of 209–156–1.