Cleveland Browns fans are currently learning the definition of patience as their team searches for a new head coach. The hunt for an HC has been going on for several weeks with numerous names tossed around, but there is a lack of clarity about how long it’ll take and who is sitting as the frontrunner. Speaking on ESPN Cleveland, Aaron Goldhammer complained about how slow this process is.
He said he is alarmed because the Browns appear to be “disorganized” as they look for a new leader.
“I don’t like the fact that the Browns’ search seems totally disorganized. The fact that all these other teams are positioned to move on their coaches and the Browns still have to do procedural things before they take the next step, to me, it is totally showing up to buy a house without your checkbook,” Goldhammer said.
.@HammerNation19 is worried about how SLOW the Browns coaching search appears to be moving…
Do you agree? https://t.co/WWBK1cb7zp pic.twitter.com/8CU2826gEA
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) January 21, 2026
The Browns have multiple things working against them, including the fact that much of the league is in a similar situation. Nearly a third of the NFL has coaching vacancies right now, which means the Browns are competing with a ton of other teams. Some of the men they are talking to know they have options, and there are interviews occurring every single day.
If the Browns were the only team trying to hire someone new, this situation wouldn’t be so painstakingly slow, but that isn’t the case. On top of that, the Browns know that this isn’t a decision they can take lightly.
Because they have had several bad seasons, Cleveland is desperate to hire someone who will get them back on track, even if they aren’t where they want to be immediately. Their margin for error is very slim.
The Browns also have to decide whether to hire someone who has been in the league for years or someone who is trying to become a head coach for the first time. Goldhammer and others fear that general manager Andrew Berry might be unsure of how to move forward, which could lead to a longer process or, worse yet, the wrong choice. The longer this goes on, the fewer options the Browns have.
If they don’t make the correct choice, it could set the team back even further. Fans have been patient, but that won’t last much longer.
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