Todd Monken has finally been given the chance to be a head coach in the NFL, and he has to make this opportunity count. If he doesn’t find success with the Cleveland Browns during his first season, it could be his only chance, and his path back into a head coaching position might be long and perhaps impossible at his age.
It has taken Monken decades to get here, and that could make him a better coach, Spencer German suggested while on 92.3 the Fan.
“This is his first shot. It probably is going to be his only shot, if it fails. He’s not going to get another head coaching job at 61, 62. He is certainly going to come in highly motivated to try and prove that he was passed over all these times, never got his shot, and that he can do this at a high level,” German said.
"This is his first shot. It probably is going to be his only shot, if it fails. He is certainly going to come in highly motivated to try and and prove that he was passed over…"
🚨 @Spencito_ and @earldapearl_216 on #Browns head coach Todd Monken https://t.co/CRhSgbjaec pic.twitter.com/02oKyg8nm6
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) January 31, 2026
Monken has been immersed in football his entire life, working in coaching roles dating back to the late 1980s. Despite decades of experience and success at multiple levels, he has never been given the opportunity to lead a team as a head coach.
He has spent time with several NFL organizations, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens, but his career has consistently stalled at the offensive coordinator level.
Monken understands the reality of the situation. Opportunities like this do not come often, especially at this stage of his career. If things do not work out in Cleveland and he fails to prove himself in his first season, he could be out of a job, and other teams would likely be hesitant to offer him another chance as a head coach.
According to German, that pressure could be exactly what fuels Monken. It may give him a fire to coach with the urgency and intensity of someone who knows his entire career is on the line.
That does not guarantee success in Cleveland, but it does suggest Monken will approach his first season as head coach with the mindset of someone who has waited his whole life for this moment and has no intention of letting it slip away.
NEXT: Todd Monken's Old Video Roasting NFL Media Is Going Viral
