 Brown's Tigers had just won their sixth straight state championship and had outscored opponents 477-6 while drawing an attendance of 116,000.An organized movement to hire Brown spread with the endorsement of his candidacy by numerous Ohio periodicals, and by a statewide letter-writing campaign orchestrated by the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association.The Athletic Department interviewed four candidates in a brief but intensive national selection process, and despite his having no previous experience coaching college football and being just 32 years of age, Brown was named head coach on January 14, 1941, with a 3-year contract.