Hall of Fame
Howard Brinker earned three letters as a center from 1935-37 and helped Miami share the Buckeye Conference title with a 7-1-1 record his junior year under coach Frank Wilton. A native of Canal Fulton, Ohio, he began his association with Miami Athletic Hall of Famer Paul Brown while playing for him at Washington High School in Massillon and served as an assistant coach under Brown with both the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Following graduation from Miami in 1939, Brinker served as an assistant coach under Miami Hall of Famer Mel Knowlton at both Edmund Jones Junior High in Massillon and Steubenville High. He took over as head coach in football at Steubenville in 1941 and following three years in military service returned as head coach from 1946-48. From 1949-51, he served as line coach at Ohio University.
In 1952, he joined the Cleveland Browns and remained with the organization under coaches Brown, Blanton Collier and Nick Skorich until 1973 as defensive coordinator. He joined the Cincinnati Bengals in 1974 and served as defensive coordinator under coaches Brown, Bill Johnson and Homer Rice until 1979.
