The Cleveland Browns are working through a long list of potential head coaching candidates, most recently meeting with former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who is one of the most highly-coveted coaches on the market. It’s an exciting coaching cycle that will require plenty of time and patience to work through, as there are so many openings around the league and an unusual number of big names out there.
The Browns have interviewed plenty of candidates already, including Tommy Rees, Jim Schwartz, McDaniel, Dan Pitcher, and others, but a favorite hasn’t emerged quite yet. The team is still casting a wide net, and one analyst recently put forth an interesting suggestion and proposed a name that hasn’t been generating a ton of buzz just yet.
Andrew Siciliano recently stopped by Baskin & Phelps of 92.3 The Fan to share his two cents on the coaching search. He proposed the idea that even though the common sentiment is that the Browns will opt for an offensive hire, given how bad they have been on that side of the ball over the past few years, going for a big defensive coordinator like Matt Burke of the Houston Texans could be an exciting candidate.
“I only have one guy in mind if they’re going to hire a defensive coach. It isn’t Jesse Minter, he plays an entirely different system. If you want to hire a DC, go get Matt Burke of the Houston Texans. They run the same system. Matt Burke was an assistant in Philadelphia under Jim Schwartz. He was his linebackers coach there. If you want a defensive head coach or assistant to be your head coach, it makes all the sense in the world to go get a guy who’s worked with Jim Schwartz and that other teams want to talk to as well,” Siciliano said.
"I only have one guy in mind if they're going to hire a defensive coach. It isn't Jesse Minter, he plays an entirely different system. If you want to hire a DC, go get Matt Burke of the Houston Texans. They run the same system."
🚨@AndrewSiciliano w/ @CLETalkingHeads on #Browns https://t.co/HUtxTks3Tu pic.twitter.com/2ERc1XZvL4
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) January 14, 2026
The ties to Schwartz are intriguing and would make for a fairly easy transition, but there hasn’t been much consideration so far in terms of hiring a defensive coach. This offense is in the gutter, and most of the candidates who have been interviewed up to this point have been coaches who primarily focus on the offensive side of the ball.
With the performance that the Houston Texans just had in the 30-6 Wild Card round win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, there are undoubtedly going to be more teams putting in calls to get in touch with Burke. His defense is the best in the league, and he is now fresh off a masterful showing that potentially ended Aaron Rodgers’ career.
The Browns are casting a wide net here, and they have to at least make the call to see if Burke could be a fit. It’s still early, but hopefully the Browns keep speaking with anybody they think could be of interest.
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