Browns to appoint Todd Monken as head coach after slew of candidate withdrawals | Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are naming Todd Monken as head coach, according to multiple reports.

Monken was Baltimore’s offensive coordinator for the past three seasons, and his appointment comes after several top candidates rejected the Browns. He also interviewed for Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator opening and was linked to the New York Giants offensive coordinator job after John Harbaugh was named coach.

Monken is the seventh coach hired by owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam since they purchased the franchise in 2012. The previous six compiled a 73-139-1 regular season record, the second-worst mark in the NFL over that span. The Browns were 5-12 this season and 8-26 the last two years, despite a strong defense.

Cleveland interviewed 10 people for the opening after Kevin Stefanski was fired in early January.

After announcing Stefanski’s firing, Jimmy Haslam bristled at the narrative that the Browns are a dysfunctional organization. However, the coaching search ended up leading to more people withdrawing their names than finalists during the three-week search.

Grant Udinski withdrew his name Monday to remain in Jacksonville as offensive coordinator. The Browns had scheduled a second interview with Mike McDaniel and Jesse Minter before both were canceled. McDaniel, who coached Miami for four seasons, will be the Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive coordinator while Minter was named Baltimore’s head coach after two seasons leading the Chargers’ defense.

Monken has history with the Browns, serving as the offensive coordinator on Freddie Kitchens’ staff in 2019. He went to the University of Georgia from 2020-2022 and was the offensive coordinator when the Bulldogs won the national title in 2021 and 2022.

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 had the league’s top-ranked offense in 2024, when it became the first team in NFL history to total at least 4,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards in the same season.

Monken’s first priority will be trying to keep Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator. Schwartz has been the architect of one of the best defenses in the league over 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. Schwartz is under contract with Cleveland for one more season, but it remains to be seen what his response will be to being passed over for the head coaching job.

The biggest task for Monken will be trying to find a quarterback and a durable offense. Stefanski has started a league-high 13 different quarterbacks during his tenure, including seven in the last 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 set the Browns back. Watson only played in 19 games. He is 9-10 as Cleveland’s starter with 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and an 80.7 passer rating. He did not play this season while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.

Jimmy Haslam said during championship meetings last March that the Browns “took a big hit and missed” the Watson trade and that “we have to dig ourselves out of this hole.”

Shedeur Sanders has started the last seven games with a 3-4 record. He’s faced growing pains, including a makeshift line and the absence of the leadoff runner and catcher over the last two games. Whether Sanders has convinced the Browns he can start next season will be debated in the months to come.

This season’s Browns joined the 1968 Buffalo Bills as the only teams in the Super Bowl era to have rookies leading the team in passing, rushing and receiving. Cleveland has the sixth and 24th overall selections in the April NFL Draft.

“Let me just say this: The next 120 days are crucial for the organization,” Haslam said on January 5. “We have to find the right head coach. We have to be effective in free agency again. We have 10 draft picks, including two number ones. We have four picks in the first three rounds. And we have to have really good players again who are really good people. We have to be opportunistic if trade opportunities present themselves. We’re just focused on having a great 120 days so we can start winning games here.”