The Cleveland Browns will have to hire a new offensive coordinator under first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Multiple media outlets report former Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken will join Kirby Smart’s coaching staff at the University of Georgia.
It means Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield will play his fourth different offensive coordinator entering his third NFL season.
The Browns could consider former NFL coach and offensive coordinator Brad Childress for Monken’s old position.
Childress, 63, worked on the Chicago Bears coaching staff for the past two years under coach Matt Nagy.
In 2012, Childress served as the Browns’ offensive coordinator under coach Pat Shurmur.
Childress was the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings from 2006-2010.
He also worked for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2013-2017 and Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2005.
Friday’s news comes the same day as the Browns’ scheduled interview with Andrew Berry for the general manager role.
Eagles’ VP of Football Ops Andrew Berry is interviewing for the Browns’ GM job today. Look for Berry to interview with Carolina after the draft if the GM job in Cleveland doesn't happen.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 17, 2020
Stefanski and the Browns’ front office will also have to decide whether to retain current defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.
Wilks is still listed as the Browns defensive coordinator on the team’s website.
Stefanski will choose between Wilks or current San Francisco 49ers defensive backs coach Joe Woods, according to NFL reporter Jim Trotter.
New Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has narrowed his choices for defensive coordinator to Steve Wilks, the Browns’ DC last season, and Joe Woods, the 49ers’ defensive backs/passing game coordinator. Feeling is, decision will come sooner than later.
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) January 14, 2020
Smart, Monken and company will have to regroup after Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.
Fromm was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs.
Georgia’s quarterback battle is between Jamie Newman, Carson Beck, Stetson Bennett IV, and D’Wan Mathis.
Monken, 53, served as the Browns’ offensive coordinator for the 2019 season under former head coach Freddie Kitchens, who the team fired in December.
During Monken’s lone season in Cleveland, he did not have play-calling duties.
In 2019, the Browns ranked 22nd in total offense (340.9 yards per game) and scoring (20.9 points per game).
From 2016-2018, Monken served as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator under head coach Dirk Koetter.
In 2018, the Buccaneers ranked third in total offense (415.5 yards per game) and 12th in scoring (24.8 points per game).
He was also the head coach at Southern Miss from 2013-2015 and the Oklahoma State offensive coordinator from 2011-2012.
Southern Miss improved each year during Monken’s tenure, going 1-11 in 2013, 3-9 in 2014 and 9-5 in 2015.
Monken took over a Southern Miss team that went 0-12 in 2012.
He has also held various assistant coaching positions with the Jacksonville Jaguars, LSU, a previous stint with Oklahoma State, Louisiana Tech, Eastern Michigan, Notre Dame, and Grand Valley State.
Monken was a three-year letter winner at quarterback for Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.
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Figured that would happen when Stefanski came on. He is bringing his guys, so a lot of the guys we have will probably go on to other teams. They’ll find a good OC to replace him though.