Cleveland Browns fire head coach Kevin Stefanski

The Cleveland Browns fired head coach Kevin Stefanski, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He’s expected to be a top candidate this cycle.

Stefanski went 45-56 in six seasons with Cleveland, making the playoffs twice. He led the Browns to a Wild Card round win over Pittsburgh in 2020 but lost to Kansas City in the Divisional Round.

When Stefanski took over, he coached QB Baker Mayfield to his best season as a passer at that time. But with injuries piling up the next two years and Cleveland’s decision to bring in QB DeShaun Watson, things changed.

The Browns were 8-9 and 7-10 over the next two seasons, Watson didn’t help matters and Cleveland seemed to be in a rut once again. But despite using Watson and four other QBs in 2023, the Browns made the playoffs again. Joe Flacco was brought in and they won four of his five starts to make the postseason.

However, Cleveland couldn’t replicate any of the success and went 8-26 over the last two years. Stefanski came to Cleveland after coaching with the Minnesota Vikings since 2006 in a variety of assistant roles, which included offensive coordinator during his final year (2019).

“(He’s) going to get a job this cycle,” ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said on Get Up Monday morning. “I think he’s a very good head coach, and I think the track record when he has competent quarterback play speaks for itself. I’ve been outspoken. I would love for him in New York with the Giants and Jaxson Dart.”

Former coach Rex Ryan was less enthused. More so, he didn’t think Stefanski was on a pedestal some make him out to be.

“It’s funny how everybody just throws him out there. I guess it’s because he’s an offensive coach,” Ryan said. “But certainly his record as a head coach is not, I don’t want to get excited about that … But to me, two time coach a year, I think that’s the most ridiculous thing there is, like, there’s a lot of great coaches in this league that have never been Coach of the Year. And so I think it’s just a, ‘hey, you must be a hell of a guy, be Coach of the Year.’ I don’t buy that stuff. I think he’s a decent coach, but to put him in the top echelon coaches, I don’t.”