The Cleveland Browns have a lot of experience in dealing with the situation they currently face. Unfortunately, in this particular case, that is not necessarily a good thing.
The Browns are in the process of looking for a new head coach, something they are all too familiar with. They recently fired Kevin Stefanski, who lasted six seasons, which is an eternity in Cleveland.
According to ESPN, since 2002, when the NFL adopted its four-division format in each conference, the Browns have had a concerning head coach track record, hiring nine, second only to the Las Vegas Raiders, which has hired 12 in that span.
“Take a look at the NFL franchises with the highest turnover at head coach since 2002 below: Cleveland Browns, 9,” Keith Jenkins wrote.
Excluding interim coaches, whoever succeeds Stefanski in Cleveland will join a list that includes Freddie Kitchens, Hue Jackson, Mike Pettine, Rob Chudzinski, Pat Shurmur, Eric Mangini, Romeo Crennel, and Butch Davis. That kind of turnover should be expected, considering the Browns made the playoffs just once in that span (under Davis in 2002) before Stefanski took them there twice (2020 and 2023). However, it is discouraging that the organization couldn’t find a more stable solution given so many chances.
That failure has only been further highlighted by recent developments in the AFC North. Since the 2025 regular season ended, head coach John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens parted ways after 18 seasons, and Mike Tomlin left the Pittsburgh Steelers after 19 seasons.
Harbaugh was thought to be a candidate for Cleveland, but he reportedly will become the head coach of the New York Giants. Tomlin reportedly will not coach anywhere in the 2026 season.
Meanwhile, Stefanski is one of the hottest names in this current coaching cycle, with almost every team that has an opening linked to him, including the Ravens. That is in stark contrast to many of the former Browns head coaches who were unable to find the same job elsewhere.
Interestingly, the Raiders are looking for a new head coach again after firing Pete Carroll, one of many openings in what has become a very crowded and competitive hiring cycle.
NEXT: Insider Shuts Down Speculation About Browns, Mike Tomlin
