George Frederick “Fred” Hoaglin, a two-time Super Bowl-winning assistant coach for the New York Giants, died on August 1. He was 82.
Hoaglin served as the Giants' offensive line coach from 1985 to 1992, a period that saw the team secure victories in Super Bowl XXI (1986-’97) and Super Bowl XXV (1990-’91). During his tenure under head coach Bill Parcells, the Giants compiled a regular-season record of 79-48 and a playoff record of 7-2. This success made him the most accomplished offensive line coach in the team’s history.
Former Giants player Harry Carson recalled Hoaglin’s perspective in a 2011 interview with the team's website. "Fred said that whenever he would drive into practice he felt so lucky that he had the guys that he had, because they made his job so easy," Carson said. "He said they were the best group of guys that he ever coached. That is the way that we were – we all worked together. We were on a single mission and that was to win a championship."
After his time with the Giants, Hoaglin followed Parcells to the New England Patriots. He coached the Patriots' offensive line from 1993 to 1996, helping the team reach the Super Bowl XXXI after winning the AFC championship. Hoaglin then joined Tom Coughlin, who was a wide receivers coach on the Giants' second Super Bowl team, with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He served as the Jaguars' tight ends coach from 1997 to 2001.
Prior to his coaching career with the Giants, Hoaglin was the offensive line coach for the Detroit Lions from 1978 to 1984. His football career also included an 11-year stint as a player, primarily as a center. He played seven seasons with the Cleveland Browns, followed by brief periods with the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Oilers, and Seattle Seahawks. Hoaglin was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1969.