Right now, the biggest name on Kevin Stefanski‘s coaching staff is Bill Callahan.
As the new Cleveland Browns head coach assembles his coaching staff, these three names should be the most important targets on his list.
1. Offensive Coordinator: Mike McDaniel
The 36-year old has been coaching in the league since 2005 and his list of mentors is outstanding.
Mike McDaniel broke into the league as an intern under Mike Shanahan with the Denver Broncos.
He then spent three seasons with Gary Kubiak as an offensive assistant for the Houston Texans.
After spending a season as the RB coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions, McDaniel joined Shanahan’s staff in Washington in 2011.
He then spent one season with the Cleveland Browns (2014), and two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.
Since 2017, McDaniel has worked with Kyle Shanahan as the San Fransico 49ers run game coordinator.
McDaniel has been a huge part in developing the run game alongside Shanahan.
In their first season together, the 49ers finished 21st in rushing yards per game.
That grew to 13th in the league in 2018 and then 2nd in the league in 2019.
With Stefanski as the “quarterback whisperer” and McDaniel leading the ground attack, the Browns would have a daunting offensive attack.
“Mike McDaniel might not be a household name, but he should be after the last two weeks. The @49ers ‘run game coordinator’ is a master of working the angles and mastering Kyle Shanahan’s visions.” — @PSchrags pic.twitter.com/L5KKKAftfh
— GMFB (@gmfb) January 20, 2020
2. Quarterback Coach: Rich Scangarello
Rich Scangarello has a long resume of coaching quarterbacks or as an offensive coordinator dating back to 1998.
At the college ranks, Scangarello coached at UC Davis, Idaho, Carleton, Millsaps, Northern Arizona, and Wagner.
Scangerallo worked as an offensive quality control coach with the Raiders (2009) and Falcons (2015).
He coached quarterbacks for the 49ers (2017-2018) before moving onto Denver as the team’s offensive coordinator.
The Broncos decided to move on, but the Browns appear to be interested in his services.
Reports: Former #Broncos OC Rich Scangarello interviewing in Cleveland with Kevin Stefanski https://t.co/4nrHhgMlTY
— Cleveland Browns On SI (@BrownsMavenSI) January 21, 2020
From 2017 to 2018, Scangarello coached Jimmy Garrapolo, C.J. Beathard, and Nick Mullens.
When Garrapolo was hurt in 2018, Beathard and Mullens combined for 3529 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions.
Having Baker Mayfield paired with Stefanski and Scangarello seems like a perfect fit.
3. Defensive Coordinator: Joe Woods
It’s not official but it appears that 49ers defensive backs and passing game coordinator Joe Woods is set to become the next DC in Cleveland.
49ers’ DB coach Joe Woods is on track to become the Browns’ next defensive coordinator if the two sides can agree to a contract, per sources.https://t.co/veCiwSBnYa
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 19, 2020
Woods has coaching experience dating back to 1992 but his recent success is no joke.
Woods coached the defensive backs for the Broncos from 2015 to 2016, where he won a Super Bowl.
In his first season, the Broncos finished first in the NFL against the pass, allowing a league-best 199.6 yards-per-game.
The stats also included 11 interceptions, 56 passes defended, nine forced fumbles, and four touchdowns.
In 2016, the secondary held opponents to the fewest yards per game (185.8) and passing touchdowns (13) in the league.
When Wade Phillips left Denver, the team promoted Woods to a defensive coordinator.
In 2017, Woods led the defense to the third-best total defense, allowing 290.0 yards per game, which also featured the fifth-best run defense.
The top five rating was a massive improvement from their 28th ranked rush defense in 2016.
When the Broncos hired Vic Fangio as head coach, Woods elected to leave for the 49ers.
The Browns finished 22nd in the league in yards allowed and 20th in points allowed.
The team could use an overhaul on defense and Woods has a track record of turning defenses around.
