Paul Brown Coaching Era

Lore & Background

Brown began his coaching career at Severn School in 1931 before becoming the head football coach at Massillon Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio, where he grew up. His high school teams lost only 8 games in 11 seasons. He was then hired at Ohio State University and coached the school to its first national football championship in 1942. After World War II, he became head coach of the Browns, who won all four AAFC championships before joining the NFL in 1950. Brown coached the Browns to three NFL championships — in 1950, 1954 and 1955 — but was fired in January 1963 amid a power struggle with team owner Art Modell. In 1968, Brown co-founded and was the first coach of the Bengals. He retired from coaching in 1975 but remained the Bengals' team president until his death in 1991. The Bengals named their home stadium Paul Brown Stadium in his honor. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

In Their Own Story

The fluorescent lights hummed above the locker room, casting long shadows across the wooden benches. Paul Brown stood before a chalkboard, his marker tapping rhythmically against the white surface. 'Again,' he said softly, pointing to the diagram of a play that had failed in practice. The room was silent; no one spoke out of turn when Papa Bear was teaching. Outside, the wind howled across Cleveland, but inside, the only sound was the scratch of chalk and the heavy breathing of men preparing for war.

Reader's Guide

Brown is credited with a number of American football innovations. He was the first coach to use game film to scout opponents, hire a full-time staff of assistants, and test players on their knowledge of a playbook. He invented the modern face mask, the practice squad and the draw play. He also played a role in breaking professional football's color barrier, bringing the first African-Americans to play pro football in the modern era onto his teams. Despite these accomplishments, Brown was not universally liked. He was strict and controlling, which often brought him into conflict with players who wanted a greater say in play-calling. These disputes, combined with Brown's failure to consult Modell on major personnel decisions, led to his firing as the Browns' coach in 1963. On April 1, 2025, the NFL announced All-America Football Conference records and statistics will be recognized in its official records. This bumped Paul Brown to seventh place on the NFL's all-time head coaches wins list.

Did You Know?

• Brown invented the modern face mask, the practice squad, and the draw play.
• He was the first coach to use game film to scout opponents and hire a full-time staff of assistants.
• Brown's high school teams at Massillon lost only 8 games in 11 seasons.
• He co-founded both the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals.