Blanton Collier had been Paul Brown's understudy for years, and he was the offensive coordinator in 1961 when the announcement came that Art Modell had fired him. Modell feared that Brown had lost touch with pro players, and his old-school hard style of rule was not what modern players were responding to. Modell selected Collier to replace Brown because of his laid back personality, and his good relationship with star player Jim Brown. Jim Brown flourished under the guidance of Blanton, having his best rushing season. Blanton Collier led the team to the NFL title in 1964, and to the title game an additional 3 times before finally retiring in 1970. Collier, interestingly, was the only coach not to be fired in Browns history.