Browns Coach Tabbed As 2026 Head Coaching Candidate

The NFL is sure to make changes in the offseason, with several teams likely to swap around some of their coaching staff. That means that several men already working in the league could receive a promotion to a much better job in the months ahead.

One of the candidates for a head coaching gig is assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone of the Cleveland Browns.

In a list on NFL.com, Tom Pelissero mentioned Ventrone as a possible head coaching candidate for 2026 and beyond.

“A 10-year NFL special teams standout, Ventrone started his coaching career as a special teams assistant with the Patriots in 2015 — earning a Super Bowl ring as a member of the 2016 Pats’ staff — before getting the Colts’ special teams coordinator job in 2018. Now in his third year as the Browns’ assistant head coach, Ventrone gets even more time in front of the team, building on his understanding of the big picture. It’s rare for special teams coordinators to even get an interview, but it worked out well for Baltimore with John Harbaugh,” Pelissero wrote.

Ventrone’s Experience Makes Him A Rising Coaching Candidate

Ventrone has been living and breathing football all of his life, playing it when he was young and now leading players in his forties. He played college ball for Villanova before being signed by the New England Patriots in 2005.

After stints with the New York Jets, Browns, and San Francisco 49ers, he came back to New England and joined the coaching staff as an assistant coach and became special teams coach only a few years later.

At just 43 years old with plenty of years of experience, Ventrone is someone who understands the NFL. He has played in it and worked as a coach for years, so he knows it inside and out.

But just because Ventrone has played a lot and has many relationships in the league doesn’t mean he will automatically get a head coach position. Competition for any job will be fierce.  However, with how poorly the Browns have been playing, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him want to depart for a new job.