The Cleveland Browns’ fanbase mostly rejoiced when they heard the news of Kevin Stefanski’s departure as their head coach. Stefanski did lead the team to their first playoff win in years, which cannot be understated, but his time with the organization was wildly disappointing.
With this departure in mind, the Browns are now on the hunt for a new head coach. Many names have been thrown out to replace Stefanski, but many people are wondering what traits the Browns are looking for.
Adam Schefter talked about this in a recent segment of his podcast, pointing out what a hire like this could look like for the organization.
“I don’t think the Cleveland Browns can hire a defensive-minded head coach and keep that defense together the way it is for this reason. Their defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, has done an incredible job. He’s respected around the league. If they hire a defensive-minded coach… Jim Schwartz is not going to be happy about that,” Schefter said.
As Schefter noted, the Browns already have a solid defensive coordinator in Schwartz. The defense was not the team’s biggest problem in 2025, as the offense was identified as a far larger issue.
Pursuing someone with an offensive focus could do wonders for this team moving forward, especially if they go ahead with a younger QB like Shedeur Sanders. Young quarterbacks need to feel empowered and feel like their coach is on their side, and an offensive-leaning option gives them that level of stability and support.
As for who makes the most sense to run this team, it’s anyone’s best guess. Countless names have been thrown out, but none of them mean a thing until the team starts conducting legitimate interviews. The next coach of this team has their work cut out for them, but after seeing how their 2025 NFL Draft class panned out, there are some pieces that the team can build around.
It might take a veteran with a lot of head coaching experience, or it could also take a fresh pair of eyes to come in and figure out what needs to be changed to be competitive in the future.
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