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Ohio State Football: 10 greatest coaches in program history

By Quinn Douglas

COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 09: Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes stands on the sideline during the first half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Ohio Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 09: Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes stands on the sideline during the first half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Ohio Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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7. Paul Brown: 1941-1943

  • Career Record: 18-8-1
  • Awards and Accolades: 1942, Big Ten Champions, 1942 National Championship

Before he became the legendary head coach of the Cleveland Browns and the founder of the Cincinnati Bengals, Paul Brown cut his teeth on the sidelines of Ohio Stadium. Brown originally enrolled at Ohio State in hopes of making the team but never did, instead he played at Miami of Ohio and played quarterback for two seasons. He coached at the prep level for Severn School and Massillon High School, the latter of which he turned into a national powerhouse.

Brown left Massillon following 1940 to replace Francis Schmitt at Ohio State. In his first season in 1941, Brown led the Buckeyes to a 6-1-1 record and a second place finish in the Big Ten. Brown’s biggest success came the following year in 1942, as the Buckeyes finished the season 9-1, won the Big Ten Championship and the school’s first national championship. Following a war-plagued 1943 season, Brown joined the U.S. Navy.

He would coach for Great Lakes Naval Base for two years and became head coach for the Cleveland Browns and the founder and first head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals before his retirement in 1975.

6. John Cooper: 1988-2000

  • Career Record: 111-43-4
  • Awards and Accolades: 1993, ’96, ’98 Big Ten Champions, CFB Hall of Fame Class of 2008

The Buckeyes remained a very relevant program nationally throughout the 1990’s thanks to the work of then-head coach John Cooper. Cooper began his coaching career at Iowa State in 1962, and would hold assistant jobs at Oregon State, UCLA, Kansas and Kentucky. Cooper earned his first head coaching job at Tulsa, then a member of the Missouri Valley and would hold the position from 1977 to 1984. He was then hired by Arizona State and in three years, led the Sun Devils to a Rose Bowl in his final season.

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Cooper was brought in to replace Earle Bruce in 1988. Following a shaky start in 1988 with a 4-6-1 record, Bruce never lost more than four games from 1989 to 1998. Cooper brought Big Ten Championships back to Columbus, winning three in 1993, 1996 and 1998. Cooper was let go by Ohio State following an 8-4 season in 2000, following a loss to Michigan.

Cooper would be higher on the loss if he hadn’t performed so poorly against “that team up north”. Cooper’s record against Michigan was an uninspiring 2-10-1. Three times, the Buckeyes were undefeated going into the Big Game against Michigan and three times they were defeated in convincing fashion. Nevertheless, Cooper’s career in Columbus was still a remarkable one.

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