Paul Brown, Halas, Lambeau among all-time coaching finalists

brown-coaches

In this Sept. 26, 1947, file photo, Cleveland Browns coach Paul Brown diagrams one of his pass plays on the blackboard in Cleveland. (File/AP)

Such architects of the NFL as Paul Brown, George Halas and Curly Lambeau are among the 20 coaching finalists for the league’s All-Time Team.

The NFL announced the finalists Wedneday, and 10 of them will make the team. A 26-member voting panel is making the choices.

Brown recently was selected as professional football’s greatest game changer. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967, the former Cleveland and Cincinnati coach — he also owned the Bengals — is credited with bringing many now-common elements to the sport like game plans and playbooks; the use of game film in scouting; coaches or co-ordinators calling plays; a radio transmitter inside the quarterback’s helmet for play-calling; and the helmet facemask.

Halas was a founding member of the NFL and long-time coach and owner of the Chicago Bears. Lambeau, whose name is on the iconic stadium in Green Bay where the Packers play, was a championship coach for the franchise.

The finalists, in alphabetical order:

Bill Belichick

Paul Brown

Guy Chamberlin

Tony Dungy

Weeb Ewbank

Joe Gibbs

Sid Gillman

Bud Grant

George Halas

Curly Lambeau

Tom Landry

Marv Levy

Vince Lombardi

John Madden

Chuck Noll

Steve Owen

Bill Parcells

Fritz Pollard

Don Shula

Bill Walsh

[relatedlinks]

When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.