CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns coaching staff is returning nearly fully intact for the 2022 season, but some things will look different after the team made some promotions and adjustments to the structure of the staff this offseason.
One of the biggest changes to the coaching staff is the shifting of tight ends coach Drew Petzing into a new role as quarterbacks coach—a role he is familiar with from his time with head coach Kevin Stefanski in Minnesota. Petzing served as the assistant quarterbacks coach for the Vikings in 2018, working directly under Stefanski.
Petzing will now work alongside offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who had been acting as the quarterbacks coach while also working as the OC, perhaps allowing more focus into both the improvement of Baker Mayfield and company as well as the in-game offensive decisions made with Stefanski.
With Petzing in his new role, the Browns have moved offensive assistant T.C. McCartney to the role of tight ends coach. McCartney, who has been an offensive assistant with Cleveland since 2020, will continue to broaden his coaching career after spending the last seven seasons in the NFL in varying offensive roles with the 49ers and the Broncos.
Another big change to the coaching staff is the additional responsibilities now given to Chief of Staff Callie Brownson, who will continue in the role while also serving as the Browns assistant wide receivers coach.
Brownson has been adding to her resume this offseason, taking on the role of head coach of the U.S. National Team at the 2022 Women's Tackle World Championship. With the Browns, she'll continue working directly with Stefanski as the chief of staff while also expanding her experience as she works with wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator Chad O'Shea.
“Callie's done a great job in her role, and now going into year three, she definitely has the capacity to add more responsibilities to the offensive side of the ball,” Stefanski said. “She's been a utility player for us in the past and filled in for coaches on game day, so this is just another step in her career. Coach O'Shea does an awesome job of mentoring coaches in that room, so I know Chad is excited to get to work closer with Callie.”
Ashton Grant, a Bill Willis fellow, is getting a new role as well, being moved to offensive quality control this season. In his first year of the fellowship, Grant worked in the running backs room and last season was working closely with the wide receivers room.
On the defensive side of things, the Browns are bringing in some outside talent to serve as assistant defensive line coach and defensive quality control coach.
Jordan Thomas, who has spent the past four seasons with San Diego State, has been hired as the assistant defensive line coach. He'll now work with defensive line coach Chris Kiffin, who returns to the Browns after briefly going to Ole Miss to work with his brother earlier this offseason.
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This role is Thomas's first in the NFL, after spending the past six years coaching at the collegiate and high school level.
Additionally, the Browns hired Jeff Anderson, who most recently served as the cornerbacks coach at Cal Poly, to serve as a defensive quality control coach. Anderson returns to Cleveland after his time as a Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellow for the Browns last summer.
Special teams will also get a coaching change, with Stephen Bravo-Brown, who most recently served as a defensive quality control coach, moves to a new phase of the game and will now hold the position of assistant special teams coach.
“Bravo is a guy that's done great work for us the last couple years,” Stefanski said. “He brings tremendous enthusiasm and passion to everything he does, and I know he's excited about this opportunity.”
With the new changes, the Browns still have their core coaches and are adjusting in hopes of a more successful outcome to their 2022 season than they saw last year.
Camryn Justice is a digital content producer at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @camijustice.
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