Report: Browns Star Was Involved In Coaching Search

After 23 days, the Cleveland Browns finally completed a long search for a new head coach following Kevin Stefanski’s firing. Todd Monken is the new man in charge, beating out Jim Schwartz and Nathan Scheelhaase, and the sentiment around the hiring has been gradually getting more positive as more and more players and colleagues speak out in support of what a great coach Monken has been for years.

Monken wasn’t the sexiest hire and likely wasn’t the first choice on anybody’s list, but his accomplishments are undeniable. It’s natural for many fans to get excited about the big names that became available, such as Mike McDaniel, Sean McDermott, John Harbaugh, Mike Tomlin, and plenty of others, but the Browns turned over every leaf possible to make sure they found who was the best fit for the team’s current timeline.

That search even included new single-season sack leader Myles Garrett, according to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. She wrote an article recently shedding more light on the search overall, and she added that Garrett was certainly consulted during the process and wasn’t surprised when Monken eventually won the gig.

“The Browns kept Garrett in the loop throughout the coaching search, sources said, and he wasn’t surprised on Wednesday when Monken was named the Browns’ 19th head coach. The Browns understand Garrett’s fierce loyalty to Schwartz, and didn’t make too much of the Instagram post. They don’t expect Garrett to ask to be traded, but if he does, the answer will be “no,” just like it was last year when he asked out to try to win a Super Bowl elsewhere,” Cabot wrote.

This is a far cry from last offseason when Garrett was demanding a trade. It’s nice to see that he and the decision-makers appear to be much more aligned and optimistic about the team’s future.

It’s no surprise that Garrett was rooting for Schwartz, according to Cabot, as he just had a record-breaking season in his scheme. The difficult part now is figuring out how to keep him as defensive coordinator, because Schwartz wants to leave but is still under contract with the Browns.

Surely Garrett will be on board if and when Monken gets this offense putting up a lot more points. Hopefully, there’s a way to keep Schwartz alongside him so Garrett can have the best of both worlds.