The Browns can interview as many candidates as they want.
They can check every box. They can sit through every presentation. They can talk scheme, culture, and vision.
But according to one Browns analyst, none of that matters if the next head coach is not allowed to truly take control.
That is why Jay Crawford believes John Harbaugh stands apart from everyone else.
During a recent appearance on The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show, Crawford explained why he believes Harbaugh should be at the top of the Browns list, and it has less to do with play design and more to do with power.
“The reason to me that he is the absolute candidate is because he has laid down the ground rules,” Crawford said. “I’ll come, but I’m not doing things the way you’ve done them, because it’s proven failure. I’m gonna come and do things my way. I’m gonna pay my guys and have a good staff. And I don’t want any meddling.”
There are a lot of mixed reports on the future former Ravens HC John Harbaugh.@JaycrawfordCLE explains why he believes Harbaugh should be the Browns next coach.
▶️: https://t.co/pZ8Np5lVii pic.twitter.com/D0BZyfojk2
— Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show (@ultCLEsports) January 12, 2026
For decades, this franchise has been defined by instability. Constant turnover. Constant interference. Constant resets.
Harbaugh represents the opposite. He’s built programs. He’s managed staffs. He’s survived front-office pressure. And he’s done it in the same division the Browns have spent years trying to escape.
Crawford’s point is simple: if the Browns are serious about changing who they are, they need someone who refuses to operate inside the same broken structure.
Not someone who fits the system. Someone who changes it.
That means full authority over his staff. Real influence over roster building. And the freedom to build an organization instead of just coaching a team.
And according to Crawford, Harbaugh is the rare candidate who would demand to be exactly that.
Whether ownership is willing to hand over that kind of control is the real question.
Because if they are, John Harbaugh wouldn’t just be another hire.
He would be a statement that the Browns are finally done doing things the same old way.
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