John Lewis "Stub" Brickels (April 6, 1906 – March 17, 1964) was a high school, college and professional football coach who served as a backfield coach for the Cleveland Browns between 1946 and 1948. Brickels began his coaching career in 1930, after graduating from Wittenberg University in Ohio, where he was a standout as a halfback on the school's football team. He coached high school football and basketball teams in Ohio and West Virginia in the 1930s and early 1940s before becoming the head basketball coach at the West Virginia University in 1944. He held that post until 1945, when Cleveland Browns coach Paul Brown hired him to recruit players for the Browns, a team under formation in the All-America Football Conference, while Brown served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
When the Browns began play in 1946, Brickels became the team's backfield coach, holding the post until he was named an assistant football coach at Miami University after the 1948 season. He was promoted to head basketball coach and athletic director the following year, and remained in that position until his death of a heart attack in 1964.
Paul Brown, who was serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II and coaching a service football team at a base outside Chicago, hired Brickels in 1945 to help him organize the Cleveland Browns, a new team in the All-America Football Conference.[6]Arthur B. McBride, the team's owner, had hired Brown as head coach and general manager, but Brown was hamstrung by his military service and needed Brickels to help recruit players.[7] Brown chose him because of his easygoing and glib manner and familiarity with the Ohio sports scene.[6] Brickels set up an office in downtown Cleveland and visited with players Brown was interested in signing.[6]
Brickels mostly did Brown's bidding and signed numerous players on his behalf, but he also brought two men to Brown's attention who later joined the Browns and had long careers with the team.[8] Center Frank Gatski and guard Ed Ulinski both played at Marshall University in Huntington when Brickels was coaching high school there.[9] Gatski had a Hall of Fame career in 11 seasons for the Browns, and Ulinski played four years for the team before becoming a long-time Browns offensive line coach.[10][11]
When the Browns started play, Brickels became a backfield coach.[1][3] He stayed with the Browns for three seasons, after each of which the team won the AAFC championship.[12] Brickels left the Browns in 1949 to take a job as an assistant to football coach Woody Hayes at Miami University.[1] The following year, he was named the school's athletic director and head basketball coach.[1]
Death
Brickels died in 1964 of a heart attack while still the athletic director at Miami.[1] He was inducted into Miami's athletics hall of fame in 1971 and into Wittenberg's hall of honor in 1986.[2][13]
References
^ abcdefgh"Brickels' Rites Set; Ex-Paul Brown Aide2". Cleveland Plain Dealer. March 18, 1964. p. 34.
^ ab"John Brickels". Wittenberg University. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
^ abcd"Official Souvenir Program, All-America Championship, Cleveland Browns vs. New York Yankees". December 22, 1946: 14. John Brickels, Backfield Coach, Graduate of Wittenberg College ... Assistant football and basketball coach at New Philadelphia (O.) High School in 1930 and 1931 ... Head coach in both sports at same school from 1932 to 1938 ... Head basketball coach, assistant in football at Huntington (West Va.) High School from 1938 through 1944 ... Head basketball coach, assistant grid mentor at West Virginia University in 1944-1945.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^Heaton, Chuck (September 27, 1986). "Bay man's device measures force, speed". Cleveland Plain Dealer. p. 3C. Ed Ulinski, who retired last spring after more than three decades as a player and coach with the Browns, was inducted into the Marshall University athletic Hall of Fame last weekend.
