The Cleveland Browns’ coaching search is well underway after Kevin Stefanski was canned on Black Monday following six up-and-down years at the helm. It’s an exciting time to be in the market for a new coach, as it feels like half the league is in the same boat and there are household names being put on the calendars left and right in what is becoming quite the game of musical chairs.
With so many teams searching for a new coach, the Browns have their work cut out for them due to the fact that on paper, there isn’t much of a case to be made that they are one of the most enticing potential landing spots. While that may take them out of the running for some of the biggest names on the market, such as John Harbaugh, Mike McDaniel, and Mike McCarthy, there are plenty of exciting candidates the Browns can pursue, as one insider recently shared a big update on the search overall. Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot recently stopped by Baskin & Phelps on 92.3 The Fan to share the latest on what she is hearing regarding the coaching search.
Cabot pointed out that nobody has emerged as the top candidate yet, and there are still a handful of preliminary interviews to work through.
“They haven’t yet talked to Jesse Minter, Nate Scheelhaase, or Grant Udinski. Until they do that, I don’t think that there’s a leader in the clubhouse. I think you need to get these guys on Zoom or in the building and get a feel for who they are, what they do, and see if it’s a culture fit. I don’t think that they, necessarily, have a leader, yet,” Cabot said.
"I don't think that they, necessarily, have a leader, yet."
🚨 @MaryKayCabot w/ @CLETalkingHeads on #Browns head coach search https://t.co/Oja4QFc52F pic.twitter.com/obpqgQxwrQ
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) January 14, 2026
The Browns have already interviewed a number of candidates, including both current coordinators Tommy Rees and Jim Schwartz, as well as McDaniel, Todd Monken, Aden Durde, and Dan Pitcher. Pitcher has spent the last two years as the Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive coordinator and early reports suggest he made a good first impression, but there is a long way to go with this cycle.
General manager Andrew Berry has a lot of work to do with this roster, as the entire starting offensive line outside of Dawand Jones is hitting free agency, the quarterback situation remains unclear, and cap space is nonexistent. Those are big reasons this is a dubious landing spot for potential coaches, but there are enough exciting names to go around to feel confident the Browns will land someone strong. Minter, Scheelhaase, and Udinski are strong candidates as well, and it will be interesting to see whether an actual list emerges after some of them are interviewed.
Perhaps after going through more interviews, at least one or two candidates will begin to emerge as the leading options to land the job.
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