Brown, Paul (1908-1991)
Brown, Paul (1908-1991)
Paul Brown, founder and first head coach of both the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, played a major role in the evolution of football. He was the first coach to use detailed game plans, playbooks, and classroom learning techniques. He hired the first full-time coaching staff. He also initiated the use of intelligence tests to measure learning potential and film replays and physical tests such as the 40-yard dash to evaluate players. Brown was also the first coach to send plays in from the bench and to use facemasks on helmets. As a professional coach with the Browns (1946-62) and Bengals (1968-75), he compiled a 222-112-9 record including four AAFC (All-American Football Conference) and three NFL titles. His coaching proteges include Don Shula and Bill Walsh, coaches who led their
respective clubs to Super Bowl championships. Brown was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1967.
—G. Allen Finchum
Further Reading:
Brown, Paul and Jack T. Clary. PB: The Paul Brown Story. New York, Atheneum, 1979.
Long, Tim. Browns Memories: The 338 Most Memorable Heroes, Heartaches and Highlights from 50 Seasons of Cleveland Browns Football. Cleveland, Ohio, Gray and Company, 1996.