Cradle of Coaches

Fritz Heisler

  • Position Football
  • Custom1 2016
  • Custom2 Heisler coached football at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels, spending the majority of his career with the Cleveland Browns. A standout guard at Miami University, Heisler began his coaching career as an assistant at Massillon High School (1938–40) under Paul Brown, his former coach. He followed Brown to Ohio State University in 1941 to coach the freshman team, then enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II, coaching the V-5 team at DePauw University in 1943. In 1946, Heisler joined Brown’s staff with the Cleveland Browns, marking the start of a 30-year tenure. He coached the offensive and defensive guards during the Browns’ four consecutive All-America Football Conference championships (1946–49), then helped the team win four NFL titles in 1950, 1954, 1955, and 1964. He transitioned to primarily coaching the offensive line in the 1950s and remained in that role until 1971. He then served as a scout for five seasons before retiring in 1976.

Biography