Todd Monken Was Browns’ ‘Strong No. 1 Choice’

Monken, 59, beat out Nate Scheelhaase and Jim Schwartz for the job. Scheelhaase, the 35-year-old Rams’ passing game coordinator, is viewed as a future head coach around the league, including by the Browns. Schwartz has been the Browns’ defensive coordinator since 2023 and is currently trying to force his way out of Cleveland after being passed over for the head coaching gig.

The trio of finalist was determined by the Browns’ unorthodox hiring process that prioritized coaches’ resumes and reviews from former players and colleagues over their interviews, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Monken has a strong history with younger players dating back to an impressive stint as the head coach at Southern Miss, and his references included Jameis Winston, one of his quarterbacks in Tampa Bay; Kirby Smart, his head coach at Georgia; and Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens’ longtime front office executive.

That information, obtained early in the hiring process, kept Monken in the running even as younger candidates with hotter names interviewed for the job. Kevin Stefanski emerged as an early favorite in 2020 for similar reasons.

These reports could be interpreted as spin from the Browns after criticism of their coaching search, which featured several candidates who withdrew from consideration. Their decision to tap Monken over Scheelhaase is understandable, given his relative youth and inexperience, but opting not to promote Schwartz could cost them a coach they had been planning to keep all along.

Only time will tell if the Browns’ out-of-the-box approach to finding their new head coach will yield better results than more standard hiring practices. Monken has a tough task in front of him – Cleveland has won just eight games in the last two years – but the team seems confident that he can get the most out of their young roster.