Despite parting ways earlier this offseason, Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski still has a great deal of admiration for Alex Van Pelt.
Van Pelt served as the Browns' offensive coordinator for the past four seasons under Stefanski and also became the team's quarterbacks coach this season. That tenure came with its ups and downs, but Van Pelt may have put together his best coaching performance yet as he helped the Browns reach the playoffs despite cycling through five different starting quarterbacks.
Even still, Stefanski made the tough decision to move on from Van Pelt following a 45-14 loss to the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card Round. It didn't take long for Van Pelt to land on his feet though, as the New England Patriots named him their new offensive coordinator just two weeks later.
Even after that difficult decision, Stefanski, a two-time Coach of the Year, is still firmly in Van Pelt's corner.
“I’ll start with the person. You’re not going to find a better person in this profession,” Stefanski told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine. “AVP is a great friend of mine. I’m excited for him and that opportunity. A former player, has played in a bunch of different systems, has coached in different systems. He’s collaborative. I think that the Patriots got a great one.”
Van Pelt's own experience as a NFL quarterback played a huge part in his success in Cleveland. The 53-year-old spent nine years with the Buffalo Bills from 1995-2003, even learning from the great Jim Kelly. He was also a quarterbacks coach with the Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals before arriving in Cleveland.
“I think it’s really important,” Stefanski said. “That view from that quarterback position when you’re playing is pretty unique. I think he sees it through the eyes of those players. I think he instructs the system through the eyes of those guys, which is so important.”
With the Patriots likely to draft their new quarterback of the future in April, Van Pelt's ability to relate to his signal-caller's will be critical to their success.
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