Fritz Heisler
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cleveland, Ohio
 Heisler in 1946 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 18, 1915 |
| Died | March 11, 1982 (aged 66) Cleveland, Ohio |
| Career information | |
| High school | Washington (Massillon, Ohio) |
| College | Miami (OH) (1934–1937) |
| Career history | |
Coaching | |
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Operations | |
| Awards and highlights | |
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Frederick K. "Fritz" Heisler (May 18, 1915 – March 11, 1982) was a professional American football coach who was an assistant and scout for the Cleveland Browns for 30 years between 1946 and 1976. He was a long-time associate of Paul Brown, the first coach of the team.
Heisler played for Brown when Brown was head coach at Massillon Washington High School before attending Miami University, where he was a standout as a guard. After graduating, he returned to Massillon to serve as an assistant under Brown. Heisler followed Brown to Ohio State University in 1941 when Brown became head coach there, but left the following year for a stint in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war, Brown was named head coach of the Browns and hired Heisler as an assistant. He retired from coaching in 1971 but remained a scout for the Browns until 1976. He died in 1982 during surgery in Cleveland. Heisler was inducted into Miami's athletics hall of fame in 2006 and Miami's Cradle of Coaches Association in 2016.
Heisler grew up in Ohio and attended Massillon Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio.[1] He tried out for the school's football team in 1932 despite weighing only 135 pounds – undersized for a football player.[1] He made the team under head coach Paul Brown, however, and was a regular starting in 1933, the first of a series of strong seasons.[1] After graduating from Massillon, Heisler enrolled at Miami University in his home state.[1] By then weighing 155 pounds, he won All-Ohio honors as a guard on the football team between 1935 and 1937.[2]
