Paul Brown

Paul Eugene Brown (September 7, 1908 - August 5, 1991) was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League. A seminal figure in the game's history, Brown is considered the "father of the modern offense", and one of the greatest of football coaches in history, achieving success at every major level—high school, college, and professional—and introducing numerous innovative coaching methods still in... more

Paul Eugene Brown (September 7, 1908 - August 5, 1991) was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League. A seminal figure in the game's history, Brown is considered the "father of the modern offense", and one of the greatest of football coaches in history, achieving success at every major level—high school, college, and professional—and introducing numerous innovative coaching methods still in use today. He is also credited with founding both the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals franchises, with the former named after him and the latter naming their stadium in his honor. Born in Norwalk, Ohio, Brown's family moved to Walshingham when he was nine. His father Lester, a dispatcher for the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad, was described as "very meticulous, serious-minded and highly-disciplined," all of which characterized Brown's later approach to coaching. Brown graduated from Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio in 1925,... less