The Cleveland Browns’ head coaching search took a whopping 23 days, but the team finally landed on former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as the next coach. The unfortunate byproduct of hiring Monken was that it required the front office to choose him over defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who took the news hard and sadly walked out and recently submitted his resignation papers.
It hurts that Schwartz got upset and walked out, but it prevented another long drawn-out process that likely wouldn’t have ended well anyway. It’s time to move on, and one name has repeatedly been connected to the team as a potential Schwartz replacement.
Cleveland.com’s Ashley Bastock recently stopped by 92.3 The Fan to discuss Schwartz’s replacement.
She believes one Houston Texans coach is the most popular choice at the moment, and if things keep going this direction, he could be the guy.
“The most popular is Cory Undlin. It wouldn’t surprise me to see an external hire. Houston runs a similar defensive system to the Browns,” Bastock said.
"The most popular is Cory Undlin. It wouldn't surprise me to see an external hire…Houston runs a similar defensive system to the Browns."
🚨 @AshleyBastock42 w/ @earldapearl_216 and @Spencito_ on candidates for the #Browns defensive coordinator position pic.twitter.com/bskKRvR0EW
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) February 7, 2026
Undlin is the defensive passing game coordinator for the Texans and helped orchestrate one of the most ferocious pass defenses in the NFL this past season. Houston has arguably the league’s best secondary, and its performance en route to reaching the AFC Divisional Round for the third year in a row justifiably has Undlin getting buzz for a possible promotion.
Undlin is 54 years old and has paid his dues, and it’s easy to see why he’d be a fun complement for Monken’s staff. He also spent 2005 through 2008 on Cleveland’s staff in a variety of defensive leadership roles.
An internal hire is always an option, but Schwartz left behind such a massive void that isn’t going to be easy to fill.
If Undlin makes sense, and all signs point to that being the case, it would be calming to see the Browns move quick and lock him down after going through such a rocky head coaching search.
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