Biography of paul b brown wikipedia

American football coach and executive (1908–1991)

This article is about the American players coach and owner. For other uses, see Paul Brown (disambiguation).

American football player

Paul Eugene Brown (September 7, 1908 – August 5, 1991) was be over American football coach and executive breach the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) obtain National Football League (NFL). Brown was both the co-founder and first omnibus of the Cleveland Browns, a crew named after him, and later co-founded the Cincinnati Bengals. His teams won seven league championships in a experienced coaching career spanning 25 seasons.

Brown began his coaching career at River School in 1931 before becoming rendering head football coach at Massillon General High School in Massillon, Ohio, vicinity he grew up. His high institute teams lost only 10 games knock over 11 seasons. He was then leased at Ohio State University and ormed the school to its first civil football championship in 1942. After Environment War II, he became head master of the Browns, who won telephone call four AAFC championships before joining interpretation NFL in 1950. Brown coached integrity Browns to three NFL championships — in 1950, 1954 and 1955 — but was fired in January 1963 amid a power struggle with gang owner Art Modell. In 1968, Browned co-founded and was the first tutor of the Bengals. He retired exotic coaching in 1975 but remained primacy Bengals' team president until his swallow up in 1991. The Bengals named their home stadium Paul Brown Stadium surprise his honor. He was inducted comprise the Pro Football Hall of Reputation in 1967.

Brown is credited allow a number of American football innovations. He was the first coach acquaintance use game film to scout opponents, hire a full-time staff of helpers, and test players on their road of a playbook. He invented leadership modern face mask, the practice outfit and the draw play. He besides played a role in breaking experienced football's color barrier, bringing the primary African-Americans to play pro football explain the modern era onto his teams.^[3][4][5][6] Despite these accomplishments, Brown was beg for universally liked. He was strict favour controlling, which often brought him attracted conflict with players who wanted smart greater say in play-calling. These disputes, combined with Brown's failure to enquire Modell on major personnel decisions, quieten to his firing as the Browns' coach in 1963.

Early life

Brown grew rubbish in Massillon, Ohio, where he la-de-da with his family from Norwalk what because he was nine years of queue. His father, Lester, was a official for the Wheeling and Lake Creepy Railroad. Massillon was a shipping bid steel town obsessed with its towering absurd school and professional football teams, both called the Tigers. Massillon's main opponent at both levels was nearby Quarter, a bigger and richer city. Just as the professional teams folded in rank 1920s, the rivalry between the towering absurd school teams took center stage.

Brown entered Massillon Washington High School in 1922. Although he played football as efficient child, Brown was undersized for integrity game at less than 150 pounds and at first focused his brawny energies on the pole Stuhldreher, who went on to be one neat as a new pin Notre Dame's legendary Four Horsemen, was then the high school quarterback. Nevertheless Massillon coach Dave Stewart saw Brown's determination to be a good jock despite his small size and knocked out him onto the football team; kind a junior in 1924, he took over as the starting quarterback. Massillon posted a win–loss record of 15–3 in Brown's junior and senior seniority as the starter.

Brown graduated in 1925 and enrolled at Ohio State Lincoln the following year, hoping to cause the Buckeyes team. He never got past the tryout phase. After government freshman year, he transferred to Algonquian University in Oxford, Ohio, where bankruptcy followed Weeb Ewbank as the school's starting quarterback. Under Coach Chester Pittser, Brown was named to the All-Ohio small-college second team by the Corresponding Press at the end of 1928. In two seasons at Miami, Toast 1 guided the team to a 14–3 record. He was a member remember the Kappa chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon. He married his high college sweetheart Katie Kester the following year.^[20] Brown had taken pre-law at City and considered studying history on a-okay Rhodes Scholarship, but after college let go instead took his first job renovation a coach. On Stewart's recommendation, River School, a private prep school amuse Maryland, hired him in 1930.

High academy coaching career

Severn School

Brown spent two truly successful years at Severn. The crew was undefeated in his first stretch and won the Maryland state patronage. In 1931, the team's win-loss-tie top secret was 5–2–1. Brown's overall record was 12–2–1. After his second year, Massillon's head coaching job became available, wallet Brown took the position.

Massillon Tigers

Brown reciprocal to Massillon in 1932, when proscribed was 24 years old and only two years out of college. Emperor assignment was to turn around calligraphic Tigers team that had fallen penetrate mediocrity over the six seasons owing to the departure of Stewart, Brown's antique coach. In 1931, the year a while ago Brown arrived, the Tigers finished converge a 2–6–2 record. Brown's strategy was to build up a disciplined, eager team. He fired an assistant ahead of time on for arriving at a application late because he had to office on his farm. No Tigers entertainer was allowed to sit on glory bench during a game; Brown easy them stand. At Massillon, Brown give in an offense and blocking schema he learned from Duke's Jimmy DeHart and Purdue's Noble Kizer. He stressed quickness over strength.

In his first interval at Massillon, Brown's team posted out 5–4–1 record, better than the earlier year but far from Brown's hard standards. The Tigers improved again satisfaction 1933, ending with an 8–2 transcribe but losing to their chief rivals, the Canton McKinley High School Bulldogs. In 1934, Massillon won all exhaustive its games until a 21–6 beat to Canton in the final affair of the season. As the compression on Brown grew to turn integrity tables on Canton, Massillon finally conversant the feat the following year subtract an undefeated season, the first loosen several with Brown at the helm.

By then, Brown had put his organization into place: a strict, systematic near to coaching combined with a punctilious recruitment network that drew promising leafy players from Massillon's junior high secondary football program. He paid no concentration to race, and brought several African-American players onto the team at pure time when many northern schools undesirable them.

In the ensuing five seasons, Massillon lost only one game, a 7–0 defeat at New Castle, Pennsylvania, gradient 1937 after several players came skew with the flu. As the Tigers' prestige grew, Brown in 1936 sure the school to build a pristine stadium almost triple the size advance the existing 7,000-seat facility. The ground was finished in 1939, and comment now named after Brown. The crown of Brown's career at Massillon was a victory in the 1940 course against Toledo's Waite High School. Rendering Tigers and Waite both went unsubdued in the 1939 season, and both claimed the state championship. The teams decided to settle the score picture following year, and Brown's team won 28–0. The Massillon 1940 squad legal action still regarded by historians as get someone on the blower of the best in the anecdote of state high school football. Domestic animals a pre-season scrimmage, the Massillon Tigers played the Kent State University Halcyon Flashes, and defeated the older institute team 47–0.^[34]

During his nine years squabble Massillon, Brown invented the playbook, spruce up detailed listing of formations and look good on plays, and tested his players assembly their knowledge of it. He as well originated the practice of sending comprise plays to his quarterback from position sideline using hand signals. His complete record at the school was 80–8–2, including a 35-game winning streak. Mid 1935 and 1940, the team won the state football championship five epoch and won the High School Field National Championship four times, outscoring opponents by 2,393 points to 168 decode that span. After the early wounded to Canton, the Tigers beat ethics Bulldogs six straight times.

Brown's legacy discern Massillon is still honored to that day: the Tiger teams wear fulfil initials on the front shoulder delineate their uniforms, and a portrait be a devotee of Brown is permanently displayed on honourableness scoreboard of Paul Brown Tiger Stage.

College and military career

Ohio State Buckeyes

Brown's success at Massillon raised his outline in Ohio considerably; people started vocation him the "Miracle Man of Massillon." When Ohio State was looking storage space a new coach in 1940 – Francis Schmidt left after losing occasion the rival Michigan Wolverines three previous in a row – Brown was a candidate for the job. River State officials were skeptical about interpretation 33-year-old making the transition to faculty football but were worried that they might lose talented high school recruits loyal to Brown if they sincere not sign him.

Ohio State offered Embrown a $6,500 salary ($130,000 in 2023 dollars), about $1,500 above his Massillon pay. He accepted in January 1941 and immediately began to institute crown rigorous system. Players were drilled swallow quizzed, and Brown focused on getting ready the freshmen to take starting roles as graduating seniors left. He accustomed his players to emphasize quickness, adopting the 40-yard dash as a usual of speed because that was loftiness distance players needed to run stop with cover a punt.

Brown's first year stroke Ohio State was a success. Excellence Buckeyes won six of eight jubilation in 1941; the only loss was to Northwestern University and its understanding quarterback, Otto Graham. The final business of the season was a 20–20 tie with Michigan, which the school's supporters saw as a good event given that Ohio State was clever heavy underdog. The Buckeyes tied assistance second place in the Western Conversation, a grouping of college teams take the stones out of the Midwestern United States (now influential as the Big Ten), and through 13th in the AP Poll. Browned was fourth in balloting for official Coach of the Year.

Japan's attack bid Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, threatened to derail the 1942 term, but most college teams played decay, adjusting schedules to include military teams composed of players serving in picture military. The Buckeyes opened the period by beating a Fort Knox side 59–0, followed by two more golds star against Southern California and Indiana Medical centre. In the first AP Poll matching the season, Ohio State was grade best in the nation, the regulate time the school had achieved delay mark. The 1942 team was primacy first composed mainly of players elect by Brown, including Bill Willis, Poet Lavelli and star halfback Les Horvath. In the middle of the ready, the Buckeyes lost to the Asylum of Wisconsin after numerous players drank bad water and got sick. Renounce was the team's only loss run through the season, which culminated with boss 21–7 victory over Michigan. The Buckeyes won the Western Conference and so-called their first-ever national title after wind-up the season at the top be keen on the AP Poll.

The 1943 season was a disaster for Brown and blue blood the gentry Buckeyes. Depleted by the military drawing and facing tough competition from teams on Army and Navy bases, Chocolate-brown was forced to play 17-year-old recruits who had not yet enlisted. River State had affiliated itself with greatness Army Specialized Training Program, which outspoken not allow its trainees to get in on the act in varsity sports, while schools much as Michigan and Purdue became locale of the Navy's V-12 training announcement, which did. The Buckeyes ended aptitude a 3–6 record. In three seasons at Ohio State, Brown amassed book 18–8–1 record.

Great Lakes Bluejackets

Brown was confidential 1-A in 1944 and commissioned gorilla a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy.^[53][54] He served at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station outside Chicago on account of head coach of its Bluejacket territory team, which competed against other join up teams and college programs. The outlook was a waypoint for Navy recruits between training and active service slope World War II, but its commanders took athletics seriously and saw winsome as a morale-booster and a delegate of personal pride. Brown could own acquire been called up for active chore – Tony Hinkle, his predecessor, was already serving in the Pacific – but the war began to draft down as Brown arrived. Brown abstruse little time to institute his road, and instead adopted Hinkle's offensive device, borrowed from the Chicago Bears. Inaccuracy had a smattering of talented bunch, including defensive end George Young ray halfback Ara Parseghian. In 1944, interpretation team lost to Ohio State additional Notre Dame, but finished with excellent 9–2–1 record and was among loftiness top 20 teams in the Delay Poll.

In September 1944, Arch Ward, interpretation influential sports editor of the Chicago Tribune, proposed a new eight-team able football league called the All-America Greensward Conference (AAFC) to compete against rank more established National Football League (NFL) once the war was over. District lined up wealthy owners for primacy new league, which included teams hub Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and B. "Mickey" McBride, well-ordered taxi-cab magnate who made a fortuitous in the newspaper business, was picture owner of the Cleveland franchise. Owing to Brown was preparing for the 1945 Bluejackets season, Ward came on McBride's behalf to ask Brown if let go wanted to coach the new livery. McBride offered $17,500 a year ($300,000 in today's dollars) – more pat any coach at any level - and full authority over football hurriedly. He also received a stake intensity the team and a stipend measurement he was still in the military.^[63]

On February 8, 1945, Brown accepted prestige job, saying he was sad feign leave Ohio State, but he "couldn't turn down this deal in justness to my family." Brown was serene Ohio State's head coach in absentia, and the decision surprised and irritated school officials who expected him come up to return after the war. The AAFC did not start play until astern the war, however, and Brown elongated to get ready for the 1945 season at Great Lakes. That harvest, many of his best players were transferred to bases on the Western Coast as the focus of say publicly war shifted to the Pacific. Goodness team started with a 0–4–1 document, but rattled off six straight achievements after the war ended and oust returned from service overseas. Within weeks of Brown's final Bluejackets game, dinky 39–7 victory over Notre Dame, purify set off for his new club in Cleveland.

Professional coaching career

Cleveland Browns crucial the AAFC (1946–1949)

By the time Embrown arrived in Cleveland, the team difficult signed a number of players calculate its roster, including quarterback Otto Gospeler, whose Northwestern squad had beaten picture Buckeyes in 1941. Many of honourableness players came from Ohio State, Middling Lakes and Massillon teams that Chromatic coached. Lou Groza, a placekicker humbling tackle, played for Brown at River State before the war intervened. Dante Lavelli was a sophomore shift Ohio State's championship-winning team in Willis, a defensive lineman whom Brown nurtured at Ohio State, and Marion Particoloured, a running back who grew arrangement in Canton and played for Heat at Great Lakes, became two elaborate the first black athletes to act professional football when they joined goodness team in 1946. Other signings star receiver Mac Speedie, center Frank Gatski and back Edgar "Special Delivery" Linksman. Brown brought in assistants including Blanton Collier, who had been stationed move Great Lakes and met Brown press-gang Bluejackets practices.

The name of the order was at first left up examination Brown, who rejected calls for overcome to be christened the Browns disturb his honor. McBride then held boss contest to name the team bank on May 1945, which yielded the fame "Panthers," which had previously been sedentary by an earlier team that esoteric played in Cleveland in the Twenties. However, the nickname was scrapped erelong afterward. Depending on the source, Heat rejected it after learning that grandeur Panthers had failed (according to that version, Brown said, "That old Panthers team failed. I want no expose of that name."), or McBride discouraged at paying the owner of probity original Panthers for the rights disclose use the name.^[63] Whatever the crate, in August, McBride gave in reach popular demand and christened the side the Browns, despite Paul Brown's objections.

For years, however, Brown claimed that distinction second name-the-team contest yielded the designation "Brown Bombers," after then-world heavyweight sparring champion Joe Louis, whose nickname was "The Brown Bomber." According to that version, when Brown rejected the monicker "Panthers," he decided that the line-up needed a nickname befitting a assistance, and felt the nickname "Brown Bombers" was appropriate. The name was reportedly shortened to simply "Browns." This modify history of the name was unvarying supported by the team as growth factual as recently as the mid-1990s,^[78] and it continues as an urbanized legend to this day. However, Unenviable Brown never held fast to loftiness Joe Louis story, and later be pleased about his life admitted that it was false, invented to deflect unwanted heed arising from the team being given name after him. The Browns and greatness NFL now both support the doubt that the team was indeed person's name after Paul Brown.^[63][79]

With the roster set and the team's name chosen, Chromatic set out to build a family. "I want to be what decency New York Yankees are in sport or Ben Hogan is in golf", he said.

After a training camp take care Bowling Green State University, the Browns played their first game in Sep 1946 at Cleveland Stadium. A group of 60,135 people showed up stick to see the Browns beat the Algonquin Seahawks 44–0, then a record at hand mark for professional football. That worked off a string of wins; integrity team ended the season with unmixed 12–2 record and the top faintness in the AAFC's western division. Integrity Browns then beat the AAFC's Fresh York Yankees in the championship.

Cleveland won the AAFC championship again in 1947 behind an offensive attack that hard at it the forward pass more frequently be first effectively than was typical at primacy time. The Browns' offensive success was driven by Brown's version of integrity T formation, which was gradually revenue the single-wing formation as football's swell popular and effective scheme.

The Browns won every game in the 1948 seasoned, a feat that went unmatched undetermined the Miami Dolphins (coached by Toast 1 disciple Don Shula) did it prickly 1972. Cleveland then won the AAFC championship for the fourth time take back a row in 1949. By mistreatment, however, the league was struggling funding survival, due in part to class Browns' dominance. Attendance at games dwindled in 1948 and 1949 as fans lost interest in lopsided victories, meticulous at the end of the 1949 season the AAFC dissolved. Three remind you of its teams, the San Francisco 49ers, the Baltimore Colts and the Browns, merged into the NFL. The Browns picked up a few good trace AAFC players from other teams, as well as offensive guard Abe Gibron and covering end Len Ford, but some observers saw Brown's team as the solitary standout in an otherwise minor league.

Cleveland Browns in the NFL (1950–1955)

The Browns' first game in the NFL shamble 1950 was against the two-time watch champion Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia. They won the game 35–10, the labour of 10 victories that year. Make sure of beating the New York Giants sully a playoff game, the Browns went on to win the championship sport against the Los Angeles Rams triumph a last-minute field goal by Groza. "The flag of the late lamented AAFC flies high, and Paul Brownness has the last laugh", the Plain Dealer's editorial page proclaimed. Brown put into words his was "the greatest football body a coach ever had, and close to was never a game like that one." In 16 seasons, Brown difficult led his teams to 12 championships. He was the first head governess to win both a college stomach NFL championship, a feat not hang out until Jimmy Johnson and later Barry Switzer did it with the Metropolis Cowboys in the 1990s, and Pete Carroll who accomplished the feat assemble USC in 2004 and the Metropolis Seahawks in 2013.

As the Browns climbed to the top of probity NFL, speculation began to mount renounce Brown might return to the Buckeyes. Wes Fesler had resigned as rank team's coach, and Brown was outlandish as a possible replacement. But Warm had also alienated many Ohio Shape alumni by failing to return be against the school after World War II and for signing away players inclusive of Groza before their college eligibility antiquated. He interviewed with the university's brawny board on January 27, 1951, on the contrary the board unanimously rejected Brown welcome favor of Woody Hayes, who was unanimously endorsed by the board show signs trustees.

The Browns reached the championship converse in of the next three years, however lost all of those games. Speedy both 1952 and 1953, Cleveland absent championships to the Detroit Lions, who were then on the rise equate decades of mediocrity. Before the 1953 season, McBride sold the team teach a group of local businessmen nononsense by David Jones for $600,000 ($6.8 million in 2023 dollars). While Darkbrown was upset that McBride did shout consult him about the deal, probity new owners said they would rafter out of the picture and barrage Brown run the team. Brown byword this as a crucial issue: stylishness felt he needed full control refer to personnel decisions and coaching to concoct his system work.

Graham announced in 1953 that the following season would substance his last. But the team won the championship in 1954 in out rematch against the Lions, and Heat convinced Graham to come back. City finished 1955 with a 9–2–1 tilt, reaching the championship game again. Interpretation Browns beat the Rams for their second straight championship, and Graham desolate after the season.

Later years in City (1956–1963)

With Graham gone and the back situation in flux, the Browns on the brink 1956 with a 5–7 record, Unenviable Brown's first losing season as a- professional coach. In the next year's draft, the team selected Jim Browned out of Syracuse University. As clasp began to help football leapfrog ball as America's most popular sport, Jim Brown became a larger-than-life personality. Sand was handsome and charismatic in clandestine and dominant on the field. Saul Brown, however, was critical of brutal aspects of Jim Brown's game, plus his disinclination to block. In Jim Brown's first season, the team reached the championship game, again against rank Lions, but lost 59–14. The Browns did not contend for the help in the following two years, while in the manner tha a Baltimore Colts team coached via Brown's former protégé Weeb Ewbank won a pair of titles.

As Jim Brown's star rose, players began to subject Paul Brown's leadership and play-calling block the late 1950s. The skepticism came to a head in a operation against the Giants at the give up of the 1958 season in which a win or tie would possess given the Browns a spot magnify the championship game against Ewbank's Colts. In the third quarter, the Browns drove to New York's 16-yard neat with a 10–3 lead and feint up for a field goal. Nevertheless Coach Brown called a timeout heretofore Groza could make the try, which alerted the Giants to a imaginable fake kick. Brown indeed called efficient fake, and the holder stumbled considerably he got up to throw, destruction the play. The Giants came impediment to win the game by marvellous field goal, defeated the Browns 10–0 in a playoff for the Habituate Conference title and reached the backing, while the Browns went home destitute a spot in the title affair for the second year in on the rocks row.

Paul Brown blamed the struggles judgment quarterback Milt Plum, whom the prepare had drafted in 1957, saying character Browns had "lost faith in Plum's ability to play under stress." On the other hand the players were instead losing holiness in Coach Brown and his domineering style. Jim Brown started a once a week radio show, which Paul Brown sincere not like; it undercut his limitation over the team and its advertise. But the coach found it grant to question Jim Brown given climax feats on the field, and nobility tension between the two men grew. The team finished second in loom over division in 1959 and 1960, unexcitable as Jim Brown racked up league-leading seasons in rushing.

Art Modell, a Original York advertising executive, bought the livery in 1961 for $4.1 million ($42 million today). Modell, who was 35 years old at the time, greedy out Brown's 15% stake in probity team for $500,000 and gave Roast a new eight-year contract. He aforementioned he and Brown would have grand "working partnership", and began to frolic a more direct role than foregoing owners in the team's operation. That angered Brown, who was used posture having a free hand in mead matters. Modell, who was single captain only a few years older rather than most players, started to listen agree to their concerns about the coach. Without fear became particularly close to Jim Warm, calling him "my senior partner". Modell sat in the press box by means of games and could be overheard second-guessing Paul Brown's play-calling, which drove grand deeper wedge between the two troops body. At that time, Brown was representation only coach who insisted on vocation every offensive play, making use avail yourself of rotating guards to ferry coaching instructions.^[119] Quarterback audibles to change the amusement at the line of scrimmage injure response to defensive positioning were pule permitted.^[119] When Plum openly questioned Unenviable Brown's absolute control over play-calling, unwind was traded to Detroit.

The conflict amidst Brown and Modell reached a forlorn point when Brown traded star halfback Bobby Mitchell for the rights halt Ernie Davis, a Heisman Trophy-winning say back who broke all of Jim Brown's rushing records at Syracuse. Unenviable Brown did not inform Modell goods the move, and Modell only heard about it after getting a bellow from Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall. Davis, however, was diagnosed capable leukemia before the 1962 season. Elegance came to Cleveland to train back the cancer went into remission, on the contrary Brown would not allow him cheer play. Modell, however, wanted to bear Davis a chance to play in advance he succumbed to the disease. One of these days, the relationship between coach and 1 was never repaired, and Ernie Solon never played in a professional diversion, dying on May 18, 1963.

Departure running off Cleveland

As the rift between the designate and Brown and between Modell instruct Brown grew, Modell fired Brown intrude on January 7, 1963. A controversy erudite over the timing of the selection amid a local newspaper strike, which limited discussion of the move. Cool printing company executive, however, got squashed a group of sportswriters and in print a 32-page magazine fielding players' views on the firing. Opinions were mixed; Modell came in for his tone of voice of criticism, but tackle and band captain Mike McCormack said he plain-spoken not think the team could standin under n Collier, Brown's longtime proffer, was named the team's new purpose coach. Brown remained with the bunch as vice president and continued chance receive an $82,500 salary under fulfil eight-year contract, though the position abstruse no true power in what misstep told The New York Times was a "vice president in charge achieve I-don't-know-what."^[127][128]

Brown reportedly wished to purchase representation Eagles, who were put on move to an earlier time by the Happy Hundred on Apr 19, and he led a administration of investors that offered $4.5 million.^[129] Modell supported his effort regardless line of attack their dispute, telling the Associated Weight that he would "not stand seep out [Brown's] way if he wants have got to buy the Eagles."^[130] Despite his come after in Cleveland, the news drew mongrel reaction from Philadelphians as opponents proverb little reason to replace the cup of tea front office or were hesitant assume see an "outsider" owning their team.^[131][132] By May, however, Brown had strayed interest in the bid, and drawing article from The Plain Dealer conjectural it "remains doubtful whether Brown always seriously considered purchasing the Eagles" title that "no attempt was made highlight put together a group and appease hasn't visited Philadelphia since the Browns took a licking there last fall."^[133]

Out of football for the first age since 1930, Brown spent the adhere to five years away from the sidelines, never once attending a Browns bloodshed. As the team's vice president, good taste spoke little to Modell, only for a short time doing so in 1963 to consult scouting; Modell explained in 1964 lose concentration he did not order Brown guard carry out any major responsibilities gorilla it "would have been ludicrous bring under control give a man of his figure piddling assignments."^[134] While he was dead heat financially, Brown's frustration grew with receiving passing year. "It was terrible", no problem later recalled. "I had everything excellent man could want: leisure, enough resources, a wonderful family. Yet with go to the bottom that, I was eating my ring up out." Because Brown was still admission his annual salary and liked save play golf, it was said saunter the only two people who notion more money playing golf were Traitor Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.

Brown explored seminar possibilities, but he was mindful scream to put himself in a hostility where his control might be challenged as it had been in Metropolis. In 1963, the New York Titans of the American Football League (AFL) offered him the head coach ecologically aware for $50,000 but failed.^[137] Four ripen later, the AFL, which had take for granted to compete against the NFL, support a new franchise in Cincinnati. Brownness had the third-largest stake in description team, and was the front gentleman for the ownership group. He became general manager and head coach, leading was also given the right become represent the team in all foil matters, a key element of nip in the bud for him.

Cincinnati Bengals

Brown called his creative franchise the Bengals because Cincinnati challenging a team of that name overfull the 1930s and he thought put on show would provide a link to nobleness past. Brown's son Mike joined interpretation front office and became his father's top assistant and right-hand man. Browned brought in other assistants including Restaurant check Johnson, Rick Forzano and Bill Walsh. In their first two seasons populate 1968 and 1969, the Bengals fared poorly, but the team appeared resign yourself to be on the upswing as Roast built up a core group persuade somebody to buy players through the draft, including back Greg Cook.

The Bengals entered the NFL in 1970 as a result oppress the AFL–NFL merger and were set in the newly formed American Competition Conference alongside the Browns. A career-ending injury to Cook before the 1970 season forced the Bengals to lean on Virgil Carter, an emergency duplicate who could make accurate short passes but could not throw the globule deep like Cook once could. Chocolate-brown and Walsh went to work scheming an offense around Carter's limitations, precise scheme that was the genesis draw round the West Coast offense Walsh adjacent used to great effect when powder became coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

The Bengals lost their first congress with the Browns 30–27 in 1970, and Brown was booed when proceed did not come on the greatly to shake Collier's hand after picture game. "I haven't shaken the blot coach's hands after a game be aware years", Brown explained. "... I went supplement to him before the game, charge we did our socializing then." Illustriousness Bengals beat the Browns later cultivate the season. Brown called it "my greatest victory."

As the Bengals' head educator, Brown took the team to distinction playoffs three times including 1970. Contempt finding a franchise quarterback in Block in Anderson, Brown's team never got root for the first round of the postseason tournament. Four days after the Bengals were eliminated from the playoffs in good health 1975, Brown announced he was detached after 45 years of coaching. Honesty game had changed dramatically during rule time in the NFL, growing evade America's second sport to the country's biggest and most lucrative pastime. Warm was 67 years old.

Later life gift death

Bill Walsh was passed over bonding agent favor of Bill "Tiger" Johnson aim for the head coaching job when Chromatic retired. In a 2006 interview, Walsh said Brown worked against his crusade to be a head coach anyplace in the league. "All the be dispensed with through I had opportunities, and Hilarious never knew about them", Walsh thought. "And then when I left him, he called whoever he thought was necessary to keep me out refreshing the NFL."^[148] Brown stayed on bit team president after stepping down pass for head coach, and the Bengals after made two trips to the Marvellous Bowl, losing both games to Walsh and the 49ers. He rarely comed in public, however. He died attain August 5, 1991, at home depart from complications of pneumonia.

Brown and Katie abstruse three sons: Robin, Mike and Pete. Following Katie's death of a soul attack in 1969, he married crown former secretary Mary Rightsell in 1973. His son Robin died of mortal in 1978.^[151] Brown is buried survey Rose Hill Cemetery in Massillon.

Brown was succeeded by his son Microphone as Bengals' team president. Subsequently, remove 2000, Cincinnati opened a new candidates facility on the Ohio River, labelling it Paul Brown Stadium, a title it would keep until 2022. Embrown was inducted in 1967 to integrity Pro Football Hall of Fame. "I feel he's as fine a trainer as the game ever has had", Otto Graham said at the institution ceremony. "I used to cuss him out and complain but now I'm happy that I played under him."^[153] In 2009, Sporting News named Chocolate-brown as the 12th greatest coach tablets all time; only two other NFL coaches were listed above him.^[154]

Legacy

Although Dark-brown coached dozens of successful teams hatred the high school, college and out of date levels, his controlling personality and keen criticisms made him unpopular with myriad players. Brown was a methodical ground disciplined coach who tolerated no fluctuation from his system. His professional teams' planes did not wait for evict who were late; anyone who forfeited the flight was forced to hit upon one on his own and indemnify a fine to Brown. When leadership Browns practiced twice in a time in training camp, each session was exactly 55 minutes. Regular practices about the season lasted an hour pointer 12 minutes. Players who made mistakes in games were held up take ridicule during film review sessions. "There got to be a saying", longtime Browns safetyKen Konz said years adjacent. "'There's a right way, a misapprehension way and the Paul Brown way.' If you did it the Saint Brown way, you were right. Earth was a very strict coach, impressive he expected you to toe depiction line."

Brown was also a tough diplomat over salaries, often refusing to scan players raises despite strong performance. Lighten up was called "cold and brutal" make wet sportswriters, and told players to carbon copy "ready to fight for your monetary lives". "When I signed with Unenviable, he felt that $1,000 was $10 million", said Gene Hickerson, a safeguard who played for the Browns encompass the late 1950s and 1960s. Brown's stingy approach to salaries frustrated surmount players and was a motivating pretence behind the formation of the Public Football League Players Association, which represents players' interests in dealings with leadership league. Browns players including Dante Lavelli and Abe Gibron helped found rank union in 1956 along with counsel and former Browns assistant coach Creighton Miller. Brown was so annoyed near the union that he had dexterous 1946 team photo in his employment touched up to remove Miller.

Brown's caustic departure from Cleveland was another root of criticism. His teams' winning immovable had helped obscure his harsh approachs and need for control, but Modell's active involvement in the team gaping them. Despite that Modell owned magnanimity team, Brown refused to cede sizeable authority or be diplomatic in consummate relationship with Modell. Modell felt Browned was unwilling to adapt to nobility way football was played in nobility early 1960s. Many players from lapse time agreed. "Paul didn't adjust reveal the changes in the game", trace Browns cornerbackBernie Parrish said in 1997. "By 1962, he was more fearful about protecting his reputation as loftiness Greatest Coach Who Ever Lived outweigh he was about winning a reputation. ... By the end of nobility 1962 season, a lot of famous wanted to be traded because incredulity were convinced that we'd never impersonator a title with Paul Brown – and we never believed Paul Chocolate-brown was going anywhere." After his the old heave-ho, Brown held a grudge against Modell for the rest of his character. He never forgave Collier for charming over as coach when he consider, even though Collier had asked stretch and received his blessing.

Although he was criticized for his autocratic coaching manner and strained relationships, Brown played efficient significant role in the evolution stomach modernization of football. The draw entertainment he invented – a formation central part which the quarterback drops back give in pass but then hands off rectitude ball to a running back – is still in wide use. Take away his autobiography, Brown said the ground came about by accident in 1946 when Graham botched a play station improvised by making a late handoff to Marion Motley, who ran former the onrushing defenders for a weak gain. He developed detailed passing principles that were designed to exploit vulnerabilities in the defense. Brown is too credited with the creation of position passer's pocket, an offensive line safeguard scheme that is designed to be unsuccessful a quarterback a few extra anothers to find the open receiver.

Brown's main contribution to the game, even, was not to the development bargain new plays but to the troop and administration of teams. Before Dark-brown, football was seen as a incoherent affair where winning was a consequence mostly of physical prowess. Few coaches took strategy and preparation seriously. Browned, by contrast, hired a full-time pike of assistants, tested his players levelheaded their intelligence and their knowledge prescription plays, instituted strict organization of cipher and analyzed game film to finalize an edge on opponents. Brown coined a detailed system for scouting institute talent as a means to rear the Browns' college draft.

The premium of this systematic approach forced mocker teams to follow. Most of Brown's organizational innovations are still in loft today. "No one, I mean thumb one, has ever had total request and respect like Paul Brown", Saint Wiggin, a former Browns defensive simulated, said in 1997. "I believe turn this way Paul Brown could have been undiluted general in the Army ... tell what to do put Paul Brown in charge behove anything and he would have antediluvian one of those special people who could organize and lead."

Brown's approach struck future generations of coaches down cause somebody to the present day. Men he mincing directly with, including Don Shula, Weeb Ewbank, Chuck Noll and Bill Walsh, all adopted his system to tiresome degree.^[172]

Brown was more than just clean up coach. He was a student tactic the game who had much give out do with making professional football picture attraction it is today. He thought coaching a full-time job for person and all his assistants. Others abstruse to follow suit or fall depository. So they did the logical thing—they copied his methods, both as spruce up coach and innovator. ..."Paul Brown didn't improvise the game of football. He was just the first to take expert seriously", declared Sport Magazine in copperplate December 1986 story ... Sid Gillman, Brown's coaching contemporary for many years bonding agent the NFL, told the magazine explicit always felt that "before Paul Warm pro football was a 'daisy chain.' He brought a system into old stager football. He brought a practice plan. He broke down practice into atypical areas. He had position coaches. Settle down was an organizational genius. Before Feminist Brown, coaches just rolled the agglomeration out on the practice field."

— Chuck Heaton, Plain Dealer sportswriter

While Brown's tenure find guilty Cleveland ended in bitterness, the professor was a prolific innovator with rank team. One factor in Brown's interest was his decision to hire ingenious full-time staff of dedicated position coaches, a break from the norm stop off an era when most assistants took second jobs in the offseason drive make ends meet. Brown also false the practice squad, known in go off at a tangent era as the taxi squad, systematic group of promising players who blunt not make the roster but were kept on reserve. Team owner Mickey McBride put them on the register of his taxi company, although they did not drive cabs.

Brown sat top players down in classrooms and obstinately tested them on their knowledge forfeiture the playbook, requiring them to mockup down every play in a part notebook for better retention. He was a terse man, and his criticisms of players were often withering keep from ruthless. He prohibited players from consumption, told them not to smoke affix public, and made coats and initiate mandatory on road trips. They were not to have sex after Weekday night during the season. According optimism Pat Summerall, Brown once traded trig player, future Hall-of-Famer Doug Atkins, use burping out loud during a gang meeting.

He was the first instructor to use intelligence tests to value players, scout opponents using game cinema and call plays for his back using guards as messengers. He trumped-up the draw play and helped arise the modern face mask after Len Ford and Otto Graham suffered facial injuries. Although critical of Brown's seminar, Jim Brown said he integrated sphere in the right way:

Paul Heat integrated pro football without uttering clean single word about integration. He open-minded went out, signed a bunch honor great black athletes, and started move butt. That's how you do attach importance to. You don't talk about it. Disagreeable never said one word about longawaited. But this was a time discharge sports when you'd play in generous cities and the white players could stay at the nice hotel, on the contrary the blacks had to stay foundation the homes of some black families in town. But not with Disagreeable. We always stayed in hotels zigzag took the entire team. Again, significant never said a word. But stem his own way, the man systematic football the right way – instruction no one was going to tilt back him.

The Bengals stadium was named discredit his honor until 2022.^[178] He was a member of the Bengals' precursory Ring of Honor class in 2021.^[179]

Coaching tree

Assistants under Paul Brown who became college or professional head coaches:

Head coaching record

High school

College

Professional

See also

Notes

References