Chuck Noll was named the 14th head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 27, 1969….becoming the youngest coach in NFL history at the time…..as Steelers owner Art Rooney would later credit Don Shula as the person who recommended Noll as a head coach…..for Noll implemented a defensive system in Pittsburgh that became the legendary “Steel Curtain” defense…..while his coaching style earned him the nickname of The Emperor Chaz by sports announcer Myron Cope…..when he became the first head coach to win four Super Bowls….as he coached 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 run was the Steelers’ skill in selecting outstanding players in the NFL college player draft…..when Noll’s initial first round pick was Joe Greene….who was 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 quarterback Terry Bradshaw from Louisiana Tech….and running back Franco Harris from Penn State as round one picks….and then In the 1974 draft….Noll and the Steelers achieved a level of drafting success never seen before or since…. when they selected four future Hall of Fame players with their first five picks….including wide receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, middle linebacker Jack Lambert….and center Mike Webster. To this day, no other draft by any team has included more than two future Hall of Famers.
