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01/28 12:46 CST Todd Monken hired as the Cleveland Browns head coach
Todd Monken hired as the Cleveland Browns head coach
By JOE REEDY
AP Sports Writer
CLEVELAND (AP) --- The Cleveland Browns have hired one of their former
coordinators to be the team's head coach.
However, it is not the one some people expected.
The Browns hired Todd Monken as the franchise's 19th full-time head coach on
Wednesday, wrapping up a three-week search. He replaces Kevin Stefanski, who
was fired on Jan. 5, the day after Cleveland finished a 5-12 season.
This is Monken's first NFL head coaching job after 11 years in the league as an
assistant. He spent the previous three seasons as Baltimore's offensive
coordinator.
"He is an outstanding leader and has a clear vision to lead our team as a
strong communicator who values trust with his players but also accountability
and preparation. In our committee's exhaustive reference work on Todd, his
commitment to player development was evident, and his tough and straightforward
coaching is respected by the players and the coaches he's worked with, putting
our team in a position to succeed while developing our players to maximize
their talents," owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement.
Monken was the Browns' offensive coordinator on Freddie Kitchens' staff in
2019. There was growing sentiment though that defensive coordinator Jim
Schwartz had emerged as the favorite, especially as the list of candidates
thinned out.
Schwartz has been the architect of one of the league's top defenses the past
three seasons.
Cleveland led the league in total defense in 2023 and ranked fourth this season
as Myles Garrett had 23 sacks and broke the NFL single-season record.
He is under contract to Cleveland for one more season, but is expected to look
elsewhere after being passed over.
Losing Schwartz would be another blow to the Haslams, whose tenure since buying
the Browns in 2012 has been known more for dysfunction than building a winning
organization.
Monken is the seventh coach hired by the Haslams. The previous six compiled a
73-139-1 regular-season record, the second-worst mark in the NFL.
The Browns were 5-12 this season and 8-26 the past two years. Stefanski --- who
was hired as Atlanta's coach --- had a 46-58 record. He was a two-time AP NFL
Coach of the Year and led the Browns to the playoffs in 2020 and '23.
After announcing Stefanski's firing, Jimmy Haslam bristled over the narrative
that the Browns are a dysfunctional organization. However, the coaching search
ended up having more people withdraw their names from consideration than
finalists. Cleveland interviewed 10 people for the opening with four ---
Monken, Schwartz, Grant Udinski and Los Angeles Rams pass coordinator Nate
Scheelhaase --- getting second interviews.
Udinski withdrew his name from consideration on Monday after a second interview
to remain in Jacksonville as offensive coordinator.
The Browns had second interviews scheduled with Mike McDaniel and Jesse Minter
before both canceled. McDaniel, who was Miami's coach for four seasons, will be
the Los Angeles Chargers' offensive coordinator while Minter was hired as
Baltimore's head coach after two seasons directing the Chargers' defense.
Monken, who turns 60 on Feb. 5, first interviewed on Jan. 10 and had a second
interview on Jan. 20. He had also interviewed for Tampa Bay's offensive
coordinator opening and was tied to the New York Giants offensive coordinator
spot after John Harbaugh was hired as the coach.
After Cleveland, Monken went to the University of Georgia from 2020-22 and was
the offensive coordinator when the Bulldogs won the national title in 2021 and
'22.
The Ravens were second in the league this season in rushing yards per game
(156.6 yards) and 11th in scoring, averaging 24.9 points per game. Baltimore
was the league's top-ranked offense in 2024, when it became the first team in
NFL history to have at least 4,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards in the
same season.
Monken also has worked in Jacksonville (2007-10) and Tampa Bay (2016-17). He
was the head coach at Southern Mississippi from 2011-13 and had a 13-26 record.
The biggest task for Monken will be trying to find a quarterback and a
sustainable offense.
Stefanski started a league-high 13 different quarterbacks during his tenure,
including seven over the past two seasons.
The Browns thought they had their quarterback in 2022 when they released Baker
Mayfield and acquired Deshaun Watson from Houston for five draft picks,
including three in the first round.
Instead, the trade for Watson has set the Browns back.
Watson has played in only 19 games. He has gone 9-10 as Cleveland's starter
with 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and an 80.7 passer rating. He did not play
this season while rehabbing from a torn Achilles tendon. Watson practiced for
three weeks last month, but was not activated to the roster.
Jimmy Haslam said during the league meetings last March that the Browns "took a
big swing and miss" with the Watson trade and that "we've got to dig ourselves
out of that hole."
Shedeur Sanders started the final seven games, going 3-4. He faced growing
pains, including a makeshift line and missing the leading rusher and receiver
for the last two games.
Whether Sanders convinced the Browns that he can start next season will be
debated in the coming months.
This season's Browns joined the 1968 Buffalo Bills as the only teams in the
Super Bowl era to have rookies lead the team in passing, rushing and receiving
yards.
Cleveland has the sixth and 24th overall selections in April's draft.
"Let me just say this, the next 120 days are crucial for the organization,"
Haslam said on Jan. 5. "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 No. 1s.
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."
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