Bill McPeak

Bill McPeak

No. 84
File:Bill McPeak.jpg
Date of birth	(1926-07-26)July 26, 1926
Place of birth	New Castle, Pennsylvania
Date of death
Place of death	Foxboro, Massachusetts
Career information
Position(s)	Defensive end
College	Pittsburgh
NFL draft	1948 / Round: 16 / Pick: 142
Career history
As player
1949-1957	Pittsburgh Steelers
Career highlights and awards
Pro Bowls	3
Career stats
Playing stats at NFL.com Playing stats at DatabaseFootball.com

William Patrick McPeak (July 24, 1926 – May 7, 1991) was an American football player and National Football League coach.

Playing career

Born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, McPeak was a star defensive end for the University of Pittsburgh. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers where he played from 1949 to 1957. During the final two years of his playing career he also became an assistant coach for the team.

Head coaching career

In 1959, McPeak joined the Washington Redskins as an assistant under head coach Mike Nixon. After Nixon's dismissal following the 1960 NFL season, McPeak was promoted to head coach, and remained in that position until 1965. Although the Redskins did not have a winning season under McPeak (he had an overall 21-46-3 record as head coach), during his tenure the team acquired players (many of whom would become Hall-of-Famers) that would eventually play a part in their later winning years such as Sonny Jurgensen and Bobby Mitchell, and draft future stars such as wide receiver Charley Taylor, tight end Jerry Smith, center Len Hauss, and linebacker Chris Hanburger.

Later coaching and scouting

In 1967, McPeak joined the Detroit Lions as an assistant coach, a position he held until 1972 when he moved on to the Miami Dolphins to replace Howard Schnellenberger who became head coach of the Baltimore Colts. His tenure in Miami would last for only two seasons due to complications suffered after a stroke, which he spent several years recovering from. He would later join the New England Patriots after returning to health, where he became director of scouting for twelve years.

McPeak died of a heart attack on May 7, 1991 at the age of 64 at his home in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

External links

• Bill McPeak, Football Scout, 64