BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns began their head coaching search just a few hours after dismissing Kevin Stefanski from the role after six seasons with the team. The search, led by general manager Andrew Berry, who retained his role after the second straight losing season, includes candidates from around the league and within the building.
Co-owner Jimmy Haslam called the next 120 days "crucial" for the organization as they look to fill the head coaching position.
"Let me just say this. The next 120 days are crucial for the organization. We've got to find the right head coach. We've got to be efficient again in free agency. We have 10 draft picks, including two number ones. We have four picks in the top three rounds. And we've got to get really good players who are really good people again. We've got to be opportunistic if trade opportunities come along. We are solely focused on having a great 120 days so we can start winning games around here," Hasalam said on Monday.
Work began Monday afternoon, and candidates have already been considered, interviews requested, and internal candidates scheduled to discuss their possible promotion. This story will continue to be updated with the latest in the Browns' search for a new HC.
Udinski withdraws from consideration
The Browns had their list narrowed down to five finalists, but are now down to four after one of their top candidates removed himself from consideration. Grant Udinski informed the Browns that he would no longer in the mix for their head coach position, league sources confirmed to News 5.
Udinski had his second interview at the end of the week, but also interviewed for the Bills' head coaching position. According to reports from ESPN and NFL Network, Udinski has a new deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars to return should he not take another position.
With Udinski out of the candidate pool, the Browns are down to four finalists: Nate Scheelhaase, Todd Monken, Anthony Lynn and Jim Schwartz. The Browns have their second interview with Scheelhasse on Monday, Jan. 26.
Longtime NFL coach interviews in person
The Cleveland Browns squeezed in an interview on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 24, with longtime NFL coach and current Washington Commanders running backs coach Anthony Lynn.
Lynn, 57, was a former player, spending time from 1992 to 1999 with the Giants, Broncos and 49ers as a running back and special teamer. He began his coaching career in 2000 as a special teams assistant with the Broncos. Over the next 26 years, Lynn has held a number of roles with many different teams, including serving as the Browns' running backs coach from 2007 to 2008.
Throughout his career, Lynn has coached with the Browns, Jaguars, Cowboys, Jets, Bills, Chargers, Lions, 49ers and currently the Commanders. He has experience as a position coach, offensive coordinator with the Bills in 2016 and Lions in 2021, and head coach with the Chargers from 2017 to 2020.
Lynn's strengths aren't just his prowess in the run game, but he's lauded for his leadership and presence by many around the league.
Minter takes different job
On Thursday, the Browns were scheduled to interview Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter for the second time, this meeting in person. However, on the morning of his scheduled second interview, Minter canceled, league sources confirmed to News 5.
Minter was a finalist but not necessarily among the leading candidates in the Browns' search for a new head coach. That said, he was the top candidate over in Baltimore as the Ravens also were taking part in a head coaching search after firing John Harbaugh.
A short time after Minter canceled his interview with the Browns, the Ravens announced they were hiring Minter as their next head coach.
Rees hired in Atlanta
Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, was one of the first candidates interviewed for the head coaching job, but he didn't make it to the second phase of the process. Rees did not receive a second interview, and after Kevin Stefanski was hired by the Atlanta Falcons as their new head coach, Rees took a new opportunity.
Rees will reunite with Stefanski in Atlanta as the former Browns' head coach's offensive coordinator, taking him officially out of head coach consideration and leaving an opening for the Browns at OC.
McDaniel removes himself from consideration
Former Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel removed himself from consideration for the Browns head coaching job on Tuesday evening, according to News 5's Camryn Justice. McDaniel was scheduled to have his second interview on Wednesday. He had his first interview on Jan. 12.
Second round of interviews begin
After completing nine interviews, the Browns are scheduling second round meetings with some of the candidates. Two veteran coaches are the first to be scheduled for second interviews, with current defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz scheduled for a second interview for the head coach position on Monday, Jan. 19, and current Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken scheduled for his second interview on Tuesday, Jan. 21, league sources told News 5. They are also scheduling second interviews with Mike McDaniel and Grant Udinski, sources said, while seeking to set up second interviews with two others.
Schwartz would be an in-house hire and someone with head coaching experience and a knowledge of the team, plus, as mentioned below, is someone the Browns wholeheartedly want to keep in their organization. They are also exploring the young, up-and-comers who have interviewed for the position, so it's not clear which route the team will go.
While Monken interviews for the second time, he is widely anticipated to take the offensive coordinator role with the New York Giants after they hired former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. Harbaugh was a name the Browns were interested in, but did not interview before he took the job in New York. Before making any decision to join Harbaugh, Monken will first conduct another interview in consideration for the head coach position in Cleveland.
McDaniel and Udinski both have been called back for in-person interviews as well, with the team considering the option of young, offensive-minded coaches to lead the team.
While they haven't gotten them on the books yet, the Browns are seeking to interview both Nate Scheelhaase and Jesse Minter for the second time, league sources confirmed.
Browns request interview with Jags' OC
The team's search for a new head coach continued a week after parting with Stefanski, and after interviewing Mike McDaniel on Monday, the Browns put in a request for an interview with Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, league sources confirmed to News 5. He's set to be interviewed on Saturday.
Udinski, 30, began his coaching career in 2019 as a grad assistant at Baylor. He quickly entered the NFL, taking a job as a coaching assistant with the Carolina Panthers in 2020. Udinski was hired by the Minnesota Vikings as the assistant to the head coach, Kevin O'Connell, in 2022, and from there he held roles as assistant quarterbacks coach and assistant offensive coordinator before the Jaguars hired him as their offensive coordinator this season. Udinski is considered around the league to be a "rising star," and has been credited with much of the success Jags' quarterback Trevor Lawrence saw this season as the team ended the regular season in first place in the AFC South at 13-4.
McDaniel's interview done
The Browns were interested in setting up an interview with recently fired Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel for the open head coach position. League sources confirmed to News 5 that the interview is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 12.
Read more on McDaniel below.
Browns request interview with Rams staffer
After the Los Angeles Rams advanced in the playoffs Saturday in a back-and-forth battle during Wild Card weekend, one of their staffers has appeared in the running for the Browns'open head coaching position. Pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase has been requested for an interview for Cleveland's head coach job, league sources confirmed to News 5. He will be interviewed Friday.
Scheelhaase, 35, was the starting quarterback at Illinois and helped lead them to their first bowl victory in over a decade by defeating Baylor in the 2010 Texas Bowl. He began his coaching career in 2015 at Illinois as a running backs coach after a short stint in their football operations department. Scheelhaase has held position coach jobs at Illinois and Iowa State, all on the offensive side of the ball. He was promoted to offensive coordinator at Iowa State in 2023 and, a year later, took a position with the Rams as an offensive assistant and passing game specialist. He's in his first year as the Rams' pass game coordinator.
Under Scheelhaase's guidance, the Rams have seen new wrinkles added to their scheme, with a focus on pre-snap concepts. Quarterback Matthew Stafford leads the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns while within the top five for fewest interceptions. Wide receiver Puka Nacua leads the league in receptions, while receiver Davante Adams leads the league in touchdown receptions.
The Rams have advanced to the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs, so Scheelhaase's interview would have to be virtual unless it's scheduled down the road.
Cleveland showing interest in recently fired coaches
The Browns weren't alone in firing their head coach. Following the regular season, 25% of the league parted ways with their head coaches, leaving the landscape ever changing. Among those moves were the Baltimore Ravens firing Super Bowl-winning head coach John Harbaugh after 18 years and the Miami Dolphins' firing Mike McDaniel after four years.
Both coaches were immediately under heavy consideration by a number of teams, including the Browns.
League sources confirmed to News 5 that the Browns are interested in both Harbaugh and McDaniel as candidates, but while they have shown interest, they have not scheduled a formal interview with either as of Saturday, Jan. 10. If they are successful in scheduling interviews with both candidates, it would be as early as the upcoming week.
Harbaugh, 63, was born in Toledo, Ohio and has deep roots in the Cleveland area, with his mother a Cleveland native and his father from Crestline, a town more southwest. His coaching career began at Western Michigan as a running backs and outside linebackers coach in 1984. He held roles at Pittsburgh, Morehead State, Cincinnati and Indiana over the next 13 years, working up to special teams coordinator at Cincinnati and Indiana. His first NFL job was with the Eagles as a special teams coordinator and later a defensive backs coach before he was hired as the Ravens' head coach in 2008, where he recorded a 180-113 record and a 13-11 postseason record that included the Super Bowl victory in 2012.
UPDATE: Harbaugh was hired by the New York Giants as their new head coach, taking him out of any consideration for the Browns.
McDaniel, 42, also has a Cleveland connection, working as a wide receivers coach in 2014. He began his coaching career as an intern with the Broncos in 2005, spending time with the Texans, Browns, Washington, Falcons, and 49ers in position coach and assistant roles before becoming the offensive coordinator with the 49ers in 2021. The following year, McDaniel was hired by the Dolphins for his first head coaching role, where he's been since, fired shortly after Harbaugh was let go and became available. With the Dolphins, he helped turn around a struggling offense in his first two seasons, but saw a decline in the last two seasons.
Browns eyeing Chargers DC
The Browns put in a request with the Los Angeles Chargers and have an interview set with defensive coordinator Jesse Minter on Friday.
Minter, 42, has led the Chargers' defense since 2024. His coaching career dates back to 2004, when he started as a defensive intern with Notre Dame, then a graduate assistant at Cincinnati, and has since included roles across college and NFL teams. From defensive coordinator roles at Indiana State, Georgia, Vanderbilt and Michigan, where he won the National Championship in 2023, to defensive position coach roles with the Ravens, Minter has taken his defensive-minded coaching to a number of stops.
Schwartz and Rees in consideration
The Browns scheduled interviews with two internal candidates on Thursday, Jan. 8—both defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees interviewed for the role, league sources told News 5.
Schwartz has helped the Browns' defense to a top-five ranking in total metrics. The unit led the charge in run defense for much of the year, until injuries impacted the interior of the line. Under Schwartz this season, defensive end Myles Garrett broke the NFL single-season sack record, notching 23 total sacks this year. Schwartz has been the Browns' defensive coordinator since 2023 and has been, inarguably, the team's best side of the ball.
Schwartz, 59, began his NFL coaching career as a personnel scout for the Browns under Bill Belichick between 1993 and 1995. Since then, Schwartz has held many roles, from position coach to coordinator roles and a head coaching stint with the Detroit Lions from 2009 to 2013. Schwartz received high praise from his players during the end-of-season availability, and Haslam himself said he "absolutely" wanted to retain Schwartz, in any capacity, this season.
“Absolutely. Great coach," Haslam said when asked if he wanted Schwartz to remain with the Browns.
The Browns also interviewed Rees on Thursday. Rees, a rising star in coaching circles, is coming off his first season as the Browns' offensive coordinator, promoted from tight ends coach at the end of last season. The 33-year-old has been coaching since 2015, getting his start as a graduate assistant at Northwestern before his roles as the offensive coordinator for both Notre Dame and Alabama.
Berry discussed both Schwartz and Rees as candidates for the role on Monday.
"First with Jim, Jim's an outstanding football coach. We have a lot of respect for him, a lot of appreciation for him, and he has certainly earned the right for consideration, but that's something that we still have to discuss and obviously discuss with him. And Tommy, he's a very talented young coordinator. He's held in very high regard, not just in college football, but across the NFL. But again, those are discussions that we have to continue to have," Berry said.
Browns request meeting with Bengals OC
A name that was expected by some to be of interest to the Browns as the season wrapped has been requested for an interview, with the Browns asking permission to interview Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher for the head coaching position, league sources confirmed to News 5.
Pitcher, 38, began his coaching career in 2012 with SUNY Cortland as a wide receivers coach and quickly took a job as a scout with the Indianapolis Colts. He was hired by the Bengals in 2016 as an offensive assistant and has worked his way up through the ranks with Cincinnati since, holding roles as their quarterbacks coach and, since 2024, their offensive coordinator.
In his first season as the Bengals' offensive coordinator, Pitcher helped lead the Bengals to the most passing yards per game in the NFL and was top five in red zone touchdown percentage and top 10 in scoring and total yards per game.
Pitcher was interviewed for the position on Friday, Jan. 9.
Seahawks' DC requested
The Browns put in a request to interview Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde, league sources confirmed to News 5.
Durde, 46, has served as the Seahawks' defensive coordinator since 2024. Before that, he was a defensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys and held several defensive coaching roles with the Atlanta Falcons. The native of England began his coaching career overseas with the London Warriors.
The Browns interviewed Durde for the position on Friday, Jan. 9.
Former Browns OC draws interest
In their first public move in their head coaching search, the Browns requested an interview with a familiar face, considering former offensive coordinator Todd Monken for the opening, league sources told News 5.
Monken, 59, was the Browns' offensive coordinator in 2019 under then-head coach Freddie Kitchens. He is currently the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, with whom the Browns have put in their interview request.
Over his 36-year coaching career, Monken has worked around the NFL and collegiate teams. From his start at Grand Valley State to the NFL, Monken has held roles as a position coach on both offense and defense, offensive coordinator roles and one head coaching stint at Southern Miss from 2013 to 2015.
Monken left the Browns after Kitchens' sole year as head coach, becoming Georgia's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He rejoined the NFL in 2023 with the Ravens and in his first season went 13-4 as the AFC's top seed in that year's playoffs.
Last January, Monken signed a contract extension with the Ravens following his work to lead Baltimore's offense to a No. 1 rank and quarterback Lamar Jackson to his best statistical season.
