May 5, 2015 1 min read

Ron Hughes retired from his position as college scouting coordinator with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday.

Hughes, a who graduated from Charleroi High School in 1961 and California University in 1965, had been with the Steelers since 2001 after a long career with the Detroit Lions, including serving as vice president of player personnel – effectively, its general manager – from 1996 through 2001.

Hughes spent 14 years as a biology teacher and football coach at Bishop Canevin and North Catholic high schools before being hired as a scout by the BLESTO scouting service in 1979.

He joined the Lions in 1982 and was responsible for the team’s drafts from 1984 through 2001. Under Hughes’ direction, the Lions selected running back Barry Sanders with the third overall pick in the 1989 draft.

Hughes was inducted into the Mid Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

He and his wife, Adrianne, reside in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.