(1901-01-17)January 17, 1901 Tower, Minnesota, U.S.
Died
October 24, 1966(1966-10-24) (aged 65) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Playing career
1921
Carleton
1923–1924
Notre Dame
Position(s)
Tackle
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1925–1928
Syracuse (assistant)
1929–1933
Duquesne (assistant)
1934
Duquesne
1935–1936
Pittsburgh Pirates
1937–1941
Niagara
1942
Fort Knox
1943–1947
Detroit Lions (assistant)
1948
Boston Yanks (assistant)
1949
New York Bulldogs (line)
1950–1951
St. Bonaventure
1952–1953
Pittsburgh Steelers
Head coaching record
Overall
45–28–4 (college) 21–27 (NFL)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
As coach:
4 Western New York Little Three (1937–1938, 1940–1941)
As player:
National (1924)
Joseph Anthony Bach (January 17, 1901 – October 24, 1966) was one of Notre Dame's famed "Seven Mules" and later the head coach for the NFL's Pittsburgh Pirates (1935–36) and later the renamed Pittsburgh Steelers (1952–53).
Bach on a 1952 Bowman football card.
As a senior at Notre Dame, he was a lineman on the 1924 national title team — the first Irish team to win a championship, and had a pivotal role in Notre Dame's first Rose Bowl trip in January 1925. Famous for the Four Horsemen backfield, the line that blocked for them was known as "The Seven Mules."
Bach became the Pirates coach in 1935 directing the young franchise to their best record yet at 4 wins and 8 losses followed by the 1936 campaign in which he coached the Pirates to their first ever non-losing season at 6 wins and 6 losses. He left the team following 1936 to go back into college football.
Bach spent the 1950 and 1951 seasons as head coach of the St. Bonaventure Brown Indians football team,[1] where Silas Rooney, Steelers owner Art Rooney's brother, was serving as athletic director; St. Bonaventure University ceased sponsoring football after the 1951 season.[2] Bach returned as the head coach for the Steelers[3][4] and installed the T-formation. Pittsburgh had been the last franchise to operate the single wing. The Steelers finished with 5 wins and 7 losses in 1952, and with 6 wins and 6 losses in 1953. Following three home defeats to begin the pre-season in 1954, Bach resigned during training camp in late August.[5] He was succeeded by line coach Walt Kiesling, a previous head coach with the team.[6]
Bach later worked as a state labor mediator and continued as a scout for the Steelers and was an active member of its alumni association. Minutes after the conclusion of a banquet luncheon in his honor in October 1966, Bach collapsed and died.[7][8]
^"The History of St. Bonaventure Football". archives.sbu.edu. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
^"Destroy Evidence Of Bona Grid Climb". Binghamton Press. June 17, 1959. p. 50 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Joe Bach new Steeler coach". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. December 19, 1951. p. 21.
^Sell, Jack (December 19, 1951). "Steelers appoint Bach after Michelosen quits". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
^Sell, Jack (August 30, 1954). "Bach resigns as Steeler football coach". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
^"Kiesling gets Steeler post". Eugene Register-Guard. United Press. August 30, 1954. p. 2B.
^Sell, Jack (October 25, 1966). "Joe Bach fatally stricken after 'fame' induction". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 26.
^"Bach's finest hour ends in tragedy with his death". Pittsburgh Press. October 25, 1966. p. 41.
"JoeBach new Steeler coach". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. December 19, 1951. p. 21. Sell, Jack (December 19, 1951). "Steelers appoint Bach...
to the 1941 season to celebrate the city's heritage of producing steel. JoeBach served two separate terms as head coach and Walt Kiesling served three...
Walt Kiesling (35 in 1939), Johnny "Blood" McNally (33 in 1937), and JoeBach (34 in 1935).[citation needed] Tomlin is the 10th African-American head...
Sebastian Philip Bierk (born April 3, 1968), known professionally as Sebastian Bach, is a Canadian-American singer who achieved mainstream success as the frontman...
Pro-football-reference.com. May 8, 1957. Retrieved August 3, 2012. Posnanski, Joe (December 19, 2011). "The Coach Who Won't Coach: After leaving the Steelers'...
coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 27, 1969, after Penn State coach Joe Paterno turned down an offer for the position. At the time of his hiring...
All-America college football team. Other notable players included tackle JoeBach and center Adam Walsh. The Four Horsemen, Walsh, and coach Rockne were...
replaced by Milan Creighton. Pittsburgh Pirates: Luby DiMeolo was replaced by JoeBach. "Owners give offense big seven-yard boost". Rome News-Tribune. Georgia...
Western New York Little Three Conference JoeBach 7–2–0 2–0–0 1940 Western New York Little Three Conference JoeBach 6–1–1 2–0–0 Total conference championships...
Giants owner Tim Mara, a bookmaker. He used the winnings to hire a coach, JoeBach, give contracts to his players and almost win a championship. The winnings...
Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc. Publishers. ISBN 0-89950-775-1 King, Joe (1958). Inside Pro Football. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Layden...
Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2011. "JoeBach Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports...
with respiratory ailments for the rest of his life. In late August 1954, JoeBach resigned as the Steelers' head coach after a poor showing by the team in...
halfback Don Miller, fullback Elmer Layden, center Adam Walsh, tackle JoeBach, and guard Harvey Brown. "IRISH RUN WILD: BEAT BUTLER 34-7". The Star Press...
(1918–1921), head coach for Notre Dame (1931–1933), NC State (1934–1936) JoeBach: played for Notre Dame (1923–1924), head coach for Duquesne (1934), Pittsburgh...
He became part of the community, where he was fondly nicknamed "JoeBach" (Little Joe). Herman is quoted as saying: "I stayed here because I found ALL...
Duquesne coach JoeBach. Bach was notable as one of Notre Dame's "seven mules", who blocked for the team's famed "Four Horsemen". In Bach's first season...
Brown–Rip Engle, Joe Paterno and Joe McMullen. Although he led the Nittany Lions to five winning seasons, he would never reach the postseason. Bach would later...
in that role for the next six seasons, but left on June 3, 1952, to join Joe Kuharich, who had been named head coach with the Chicago Cardinals. Kuharich's...
co-head coaches for the rest of the 1953 season. Pittsburgh Steelers: JoeBach was replaced by Walt Kiesling. New York Giants: Steve Owen was replaced...
to Denise Driscoll from 1999 to 2006. Walsh married Marjorie Bach (sister of Barbara Bach and sister-in-law of Ringo Starr) in Los Angeles on December...
1929 – September 19, 1992), also known as Dutch, Von Dutch, or J. L. Bachs (Joe Lunch Box), was an American motorcycle mechanic, artist, pin striper,...
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