Former Steelers player and executive Dick Haley has died, his son, Todd, announced on Saturday. He was 85 years old.
“Very sorry to say, the world, the NFL and my entire family lost one of the best people I’ve ever known and my idol,” former Chiefs coach Todd Haley wrote on Twitter. “A man that gave me the best chance to succeed in this world. My father Dick Haley after long fight with dementia and Parkinson’s. I love you DAD!”
Dick Haley played in the NFL for five seasons with Washington, Minnesota and Pittsburgh in the early 1960s. After he retired as a player in 1965, he became a part-time scout for the Steelers, working his way up through the organization and eventually becoming the team’s director of player personnel.
Haley was known for helping the team draft future Hall of Famers Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, Mike Webster and Donnie Shell in 1974. Haley drafted a total of seven future Hall of Famers with Pittsburgh and was with the Steelers for their first four Super Bowl championships.
“Dick played an instrumental role in our unprecedented success in the 1970s during the second part of his career,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “He developed a unique eye for talent, and he ultimately helped identify and draft many of the players that allowed us to win four Super Bowls during that decade. My condolences go out to the entire Haley family during this difficult time.”
After leaving the Steelers in 1991, Haley became the Jets’ director of player personnel for 17 years. He finished his career as a player personnel analyst for the Dolphins.
Todd Haley, Dick’s son, was a longtime offensive assistant coach in the NFL and was the Chiefs’ head coach from 2009 to ’11.
