Jim Shofner Jim Shofner ( born December 18 , 1935 ) is a former football player and coach at both the collegiate and professional levels . He was twice a head coach : first at Texas Christian University from 1974 – 1976 , then in an interim capacity with the Cleveland Browns in 1990 . Shofner was a four - sport star at North Side High School in Fort Worth , Texas , serving as captain of three squads . He played college football on both sides of the ball at Texas Christian , leading the Southwestern Conference in rushing in 1957 with 682 yards , while scoring six touchdowns . He was a first round draft selection of the Browns the following year , and after seeing little action as a rookie , became a starting cornerback in 1959 . During this period , the magic that Paul Brown had enjoyed during his first decade as head coach of the Browns had faded , with the team failing to reach the playoffs during Shofner ' s six years with the team . On March 17 , 1964 , Shofner announced his retirement , citing a business opportunity involving the insurance business in which he was involved . That opportunity apparently disappeared when Shofner signed as an assistant coach at Texas Christian ( TCU ) , his alma mater , beginning a three - decade run in the coaching ranks . Shofner served for three years in his role at TCU , winning only two games and compiling eye - wateringly poor overall record of 2 - 31 , before returning to the NFL as an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers on March 6 , 1967 . Despite a head coaching change after the first season , Shofner would stay with the team for another six years , starting on defense before shifting to the offensive side . In 1970 , he helped quarterback John Brodie win Most Valuable Player honors with a career year . On December 5 , 1973 , Shofner was named head coach at Texas Christian , but the team endured a 20 - game losing streak and Shofner won just twice in three seasons before resigning . In 1977 , Shofner resurfaced with the 49ers before serving as the architect of the Cleveland Browns ' offense for three seasons . During his final year with the team , Shofner watched Browns ' quarterback Brian Sipe throw for more than 4 , 000 yards and win the NFL Most Valuable Player award . That success resulted in his hiring as offensive coordinator of the Houston Oilers on February 4 , 1981 , but the team had slipped from its recent success . After two seasons , Shofner again announced he was leaving to enter private business , but instead , was hired in the same role with the Dallas Cowboys , where he spent three years . Following the conclusion of the 1985 NFL season , Shofner was demoted by the Cowboys and left to work for the St . Louis Cardinals ( football ) . Midway through his four years with the team , the franchise was relocated to Arizona , but the switch proved to have no effect on the team ' s dismal fortunes . Shofner returned to Cleveland for the 1990 NFL season , but the success he had enjoyed a decade earlier was non - existent as the Browns ' collapsed , resulting in head coach Bud Carson ' s firing on November 5 . Shofner was named interim head coach , but the team won only one of the remaining seven games . After spending the 1991 NFL season in a scouting capacity with the Browns , Shofner returned to the field in 1992 when he was hired as quarterback coach with the Buffalo Bills . During his first two seasons , the Bills reached the Super Bowl , but after a disappointing 1996 season , Shofner was reassigned to the team ' s scouting staff . Jim Shofner currently lives in Granbury , Texas .