A Familiar Name Is Emerging In Browns Coaching Search

The Cleveland Browns’ head coaching vacancy has quickly become the biggest talking point for this organization. Fans and analysts are concerned about the team’s choice for head coach, hoping they make the right decision to put themselves on a positive trajectory for the future.

Several prospective candidates have been identified, and the Browns are in the thick of the interview process. One of those candidates is current defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who, according to former coach Lance Reisland via 92.3’s “The Fan,” is his top choice to take the job.

“I’m all about Schwartz being the head coach and then kinda bringing in a guy who would mirror his defense as the head coach,” Reisland said.

"I’m all about Jim Schwartz being the head coach and bringing in a guy that mirrors his defense."

🚨 @LanceReisland with @NickWilsonSays and @JPeterlin on the #Browns head coaching vacancy pic.twitter.com/13d04Tze1L

— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) January 15, 2026

Schwartz’s defense was among the best in the league this year. They were effective and efficient, and have a lot of key players who should be a part of this team for the foreseeable future.

If he can keep that momentum moving on that side of the ball with a DC who has a shared vision, while also improving things on offense, he just might be the right person for the job. Had this team had a more competent offense in 2025, there’s no telling where they would have finished, or how much better they could have been down the stretch.

Hindsight is 20/20, of course, and this team can’t afford to dwell on the past. Hiring the right head coach is imperative for growth, so the Browns are taking their time to find the best person for the job.

Internal candidates usually go one of two ways. Because of their familiarity with an organization, internal candidates naturally have a leg up on outsiders when it comes to locker room presence and trust with the presence. However, people within the organization were at least partially responsible for why the head coach got fired, so in some cases, it pays to look outward.

After winning eight games over the past two seasons, the Browns need an overhaul, and whether it’s Schwartz or somebody else, they need it quickly, if for nothing else than the sanity of the fanbase.