Bill Belichick shows love for former Browns coach Paul Brown

Sometimes it's easy to forget how great someone was when they haven't been a part of the league for decades. But for those who study the game for a living, it's easy to remember. That's why it's not a shock that Bill Belichick, one of the greatest coaches of all-time, was quick to name former Cleveland Browns head coach Paul Brown when talking about the best ever.

In an exclusive interview with The 33rd Team, Belichick was asked which former coaches he would have loved to compete against. Belichick immediately said it was a great question and dove in with a deep answer — starting with Paul Brown atop the list.

Paul Brown was more than just a coach for the Cleveland Browns

As a coach, Paul Brown was sensational. He was on the sideline for the Browns for 17 seasons and went 158-48-8 with seven championships. He was the first coach in franchise history and even though he didn't like the idea, they were even named after him.

Sadly, he left due to a rift with Art Modell (seriously, that guy was the worst) and founded the Cincinnati Bengals.

Belichick started with Cleveland but had his greatest success afterward

Belichick, who recently said he worked for free just to learn how to coach the game, is no stranger to coaching in Cleveland. He actually got his first head coaching gig with the Browns back in 1991 and coached the franchise until they left for Baltimore in 1995.

Overall, he was 36-44 and was fired by the Ravens — not the Browns — after they were initially ready to go into the 1996 campaign with him at the helm.

Belichick landed on his feet, as we all know. He signed on with the New England Patriots as the assistant head coach and then became the defensive coordinator with the New York Jets in 1997. He initially took a head coaching job in New York before backing out and taking the same job with the Pats in 2000.

With New England, Belichick has a record of 262-108 with six Super Bowl rings.