The Cleveland Browns are hard at work looking for their next head coach as they continue to interview anyone and everyone. They have just started bringing a few candidates back for second interviews, most notably defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, with a handful of others still in the mix.
Two hires have been made league-wide so far, as John Harbaugh landed the New York Giants job and former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is taking over the Atlanta Falcons. Harbaugh moved quickly and reportedly spoke to plenty of teams with openings, and recently details have emerged about his brief interaction with the Browns.
Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot recently discussed Harbaugh in an article where she provided her updated insights into Cleveland’s coaching search.
She pointed out that he and the Browns spoke on the phone before deciding on who he wanted to conduct official interviews with, and the Browns apparently didn’t make it on his radar.
“The Browns were one of five teams that Harbaugh talked to on the phone for 45 minutes before deciding on which formal interviews he wanted to do. The Giants were his first choice, but he planned to interview with the Titans after he spent the day with the Giants. It never got to that point as things heated up with the Giants,” Cabot said.
This isn’t a surprising development, as Harbaugh was never much of a realistic candidate for the Browns. Leaving the Ravens for a division rival after 18 years would have been a wild move, and objectively, the Browns aren’t one of the most attractive landing spots in the grand scheme of things.
Cleveland is in the red with its cap space, has an uncertain quarterback situation, and needs an entire new offensive line this offseason. Teams like the Giants, Tennessee Titans, and Las Vegas Raiders, with ideal combinations of top-tier young quarterbacks, hundreds of millions in cap space, and high draft picks will always win out in the coaching cycle.
However, just because the Browns weren’t in the mix for Harbaugh doesn’t mean they won’t get multiple other opportunities to hire somebody exciting.
There are a lot of intriguing names that the Browns have already visited with, and it has been exciting to see this process unfold as the Browns get closer and closer to finding their guy.
NEXT: Report: Browns Coaching Candidate Likely To Land Second Interview
