Video by Zach Burnett

“Some legacies shape more than just history,” said Miami University President Gregory Crawford as he began an exclusive interview with Cincinnati Bengals President Mike Brown, who has led one of the NFL’s most storied organizations for over 50 years.

“They inspire community, leadership, and innovation across generations,” President Crawford continued.

The interview unfolded during a new episode of the In Such a Place podcast, which explores the vital role universities play in shaping society by featuring the voices of those who are making social, cultural, and technological contributions across today’s modern world.

The podcast also aims to advance a broader mission that envisions higher education’s continued evolution as a cultural institution that provides an enriching influence on the people, practices, and places that extend beyond university borders.

During this special Bengals episode, the podcast brought President Crawford and Brown together at Paycor Stadium, where they discussed the importance of leadership and legacy, enduring institutional values, Miami’s historic football heritage as the Cradle of Coaches, the innovations needed to sustain organizational excellence, and the shared responsibility of sports teams and universities to support meaningful community impact.

Brown also shared many stories about his father, Paul Brown — the iconic football innovator, founder of the Bengals franchise, and proud Miami alumnus — whose legacy is deeply entwined with the university.

“My father was a university man through and through,” Brown said. “He loved Miami. From the very start. He later was a trustee in old age, and he just had a love for Miami that was part of him from the time he was a young man to the day he died.”

Earlier in life, Paul Brown starred as a quarterback at Miami University, where he graduated with a degree in Education in 1930.

Professionally, he would go on to serve as the head coach and general manager of the Cleveland Browns before founding the Cincinnati Bengals as part of the NFL’s expansion in 1967. Here, he would also serve as team president until his son, Mike Brown, would officially assume full control of the franchise in 1991.

Through it all, Paul Brown was credited with introducing several innovations to the game, including being the first to systematically establish the playbook in written form and to script plays in advance, build a modern scouting department, experiment with quarterback-to-coach radio headsets, employ a year-round coaching staff, introduce classroom-style film study to teach and correct player performance, and more.

In 1993, Brown’s legacy came full circle with his long history with Miami when he was inducted into the famed Cradle of Coaches. It was a tribute that mirrors the same respect for innovation that has defined his influence across generations, and which still guides the organization to this day.

“Innovation is part of our core value,” Mike Brown said, while reflecting on this theme during the podcast. “We treasure it, and we want to be involved with it. We want to make it work for us and fit it in, or fit us in with it.”

This reflection on innovation also underscores another deep bond with Miami University, as both organizations value forward-thinking leadership and a commitment to help shape a future that reaches far beyond football fields and classroom walls.

Earlier this year, that connection was strengthened when Miami became the Cincinnati Bengals’ official education partner. It’s a partnership that gives the next generation of students unparalleled access to internships, game-day roles, industry mentorship, and real-world projects that connect academic experiences to the regular daily operations of a premier NFL franchise.

It also further extends the relationship between Miami University and the Cincinnati Bengals, which is nearly 100 years in the making, and it's rooted in common values, leadership traditions, and a belief in the power of both sport and education to make a meaningful impact on the entire community.

To hear more about how this shared legacy has grown and continues to evolve, listen to the full conversation between President Gregory Crawford and Mike Brown on the In Such a Place podcast.

Established in 1809, Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg. Interested in learning more about the Cradle of Coaches or hearing more episodes of the In Such a Place podcast?