The Cleveland Browns haven't had a whole lot of success in the last couple of decades, but this is a franchise that has had some good teams.
A big reason for the good teams has been because of a few good coaches that have been in charge. Including Kevin Stefanski, the Browns have had 22 coaches in their history. In their history, the franchise has only had only five coaches with a winning percentage, with three of those being their first three coaches.
Let's break down the five best Browns coaches of all time.
5. Bill Belichick
How many times does a coach with a losing record end up on a team's top five coaches? It probably isn't a good sign about the Browns history, but Bill Belichick was one of the greatest coaches in franchise history.
Belichick was the coach for the Browns from 1991-95, finishing his tenure with a 36-44 record. In 1994, he finished with an 11-5 record during the regular season and knocked off the New England Patriots during the playoffs.
When the Browns moved to Baltimore before the 1996 season, the thought was he would continue on for at least one more year, but he was fired. Belichick later would become the coach of the Patriots, and it was only a few years before he was considered one of the best coaches in the league.
4. Nick Skorich
Nick Skorich took over the Browns in 1971 and was in charge of the team through the 1974 season. Skorich had been the offensive coordinator for the team for a couple of seasons before being upgraded to head coach.
During the three seasons, he led the team to 30 wins, 24 losses, and two ties. The Browns were the AFL Central Division champions in 1971 under him.
The Browns made the playoffs twice with him in charge, but they didn't win any of the games once they got there.
3. Marty Schottenheimer
Marty Schottenheimer took over the Browns in 1984, leading the franchise to a lot of success during his short time in charge. In 71 regular-season games, Clevealnd won 44 games. He led the team to three AFC Central Division championships, and in 1986, he was named the NFL Coach of the Year.
During the 1986 and 87 seasons, Schottenheimer lost in the conference championship game. After the 1988 season, Schottenheimer and the Browns agreed to part ways.
Schottenheimer wanted to continue to be head coach and offensive coordinator, but management had different ideas on the direction of the franchise.
2. Blanton Collier
Blanton Collier was the second coach in Browns history, and he had big shoes to fill when he stepped into the job.
During his time with the team, Collier led the Browns to four NFL Championship games, winning the title in 1964. In that game, the Browns were big underdogs against the Baltimore Colts, but they had no issues dominating the game, winning 27-0.
Collier finished his Browns time with a 76-34-2 record during the regular season. During the playoffs, he didn't have a winning record in going just 3-4 overall. Collier stepped down after the 1970 season, allowing Skorich to take over as the head coach.
1. Paul Brown
Paul Brown is the best coach in Browns history, and one of the best coaches in NFL history. Brown was a co-founder of the franchise, staying on the job for 17 seasons.
He led the team to four AAFC championships and three NFL championships. He also led the Browns to seven NFL conference championships and was named the NFL Coach of the Year four different times.
Brown broke many barriers when he signed two black players to his team, but he didn't credit it to civil rights, rather saying he just wanted the best team possible. He also invented the facemask, the draw play, and the practice squad.
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