Former Steelers assistant Dick LeBeau shares wisdom with group of legendary high school football coaches

By: Paul Schofield
Monday, July 15, 2024 | 10:07 PM

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Former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau was the guest speaker at the annual gathering of current and former WPIAL football coaches Monday at Grandview Golf Course in North Braddock.

LeBeau, who recently released his book “Legendary,” where he talks about his six decades in the NFL, addressed the 15 coaches at the luncheon. The coaches in attendance were legends who coached teams to multiple WPIAL and PIAA titles.

LeBeau, who was promoting his book co-written with Scott Brown and George Von Benko, told luncheon coordinator Bill Priatko to continue this worthwhile event.

“I owe a lot to my former high school coach, Jim Bowlus,” LeBeau said. “He got me started.

“I grew up and played football in London, Ohio, and if you didn’t play football, you never got a date.”

LeBeau went on to play college football at Ohio State and played for 14 years for the Detroit Lions.

He was a head coach with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2000-02 and an assistant for six teams, including the Steelers from 2004-14 as defensive coordinator.

“One thing players found out early in Pittsburgh was it’s not I, it’s we,” LeBeau said, “and a team is a family and a family is a team.”

Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak said there were a lot of things LeBeau talked about that are true.

“You take anything you can from a coach like him,” Cherpak said. “Fifty-nine years in the NFL is amazing. To hear how he handled himself and how he handled coach-player relationships.

“It’s amazing to hear him talk about the players and the respect he had for them and how they respected him. We preach team all the time, and when you get them to buy in, you know you have something special.”

The other current coaches attending were Rochester’s Gene Matsook and Mars’ Eric Kasperowicz.

Former coaches attending were George Smith, George Novak, Pat Monroe, Jim Render, Jack McCurry, Joe Hamilton, Dan Matsook, Tom Nola, John Banaszak, Don Yannessa and Mike Zmijanac.

LeBeau’s book talks about the 2008 Steelers defense, which he called the best he ever coached, the zone blitz and his six decades in the NFL as a player and coach.

LeBeau wouldn’t single out the best players he has ever coached, but did say there were a few players on that 2008 who would be considered. That defensive included Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, Ryan Clark, James Farrior, Brett Keisel and Casey Hampton.

“I owe a lot of my success for the defense to former general manager Kevin Colbert (who attended),” LeBeau said. “He helped put together that unit.”

LeBeau described in detail Harrison’s interception and 100-yard touchdown return in the Super Bowl victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

He called it the greatest play he’s ever been involved in and considers it the best play ever.

“I always coached the team to be aware of the situation and do our job,” LeBeau said. “Arizona was deep in our territory, and I was hoping to hold them to a field goal.

“I called for a blitz, and when Kurt Warner threw a quick slant, James didn’t blitz and dropped to a spot and picked it off. My first reaction was to say ‘get on the ground James’. It was a rule of mine, and I was happy he did a good job. But he didn’t get down and kept running and then picking up a wall of blockers, and I was yelling ‘run James, run.’ He also ignored Ike Taylor, who wanted him to lateral the ball, which was a no-no.”

Harrison told LeBeau at halftime that he knew the situation and figured they wouldn’t run the ball.

LeBeau added that the defense would practice runbacks every week in practice. He said everyone on the field made a block, and some made two or three.

LeBeau told the current coaches that winning is getting better every week.

“Don’t get fat and happy,” LeBeau said. “Remind the team to stay focused and do their job. You have to be a salesman, and they have to believe what you’re selling.”

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.