CLEVELAND, Ohio — And then there were four.
The Browns and Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter mutually agreed on Wednesday night to cancel his second interview with the Browns on Thursday for their head coach vacancy, league sources told cleveland.
The interview was canceled because Minter feels he has a better chance of being hired by one of the other teams that are pursuing him as head coach. He’s had second interviews with teams such as the Raiders and Ravens, and might have more coming.
On Tuesday, former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel withdrew his name from consideration and canceled his second interview on Wednesday because he was set to take the Chargers offensive coordinator job that day.
It leaves four finalists for the Browns job in their own defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase.
The Browns must also interview one more diverse candidate besides Scheelhaase to satisfy the Rooney Rule.
With Minter off the books today, the Browns have Udinski on Friday and Scheelhaase at the earliest on Monday, after he plays in the NFC Championship Game against the Seahawks on Sunday.
Cleveland.com reported earlier Thursday that Schwartz and Monken, both 59, are still very much in the running for the job after having their second interviews on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
If Schwartz doesn’t get the job, it remains to be seen if he’ll want to stick around as coordinator. The Browns have articulated to all of their finalists that they would like Schwartz to remain as coordinator if he doesn’t get promoted, but they also know that they have the authority to assemble their own staff.
Schwartz is the lone remaining defensive finalist, and the only with head coach experience, having gone 29-51 in the regular season with the Lions from 2009-13, and 0-1 in the playoffs. But he’s worked for four different teams since then as a coordinator or senior defensive assistant, and won a Super Bowl with the Eagles after the 2017 season.
He’s also molded the Browns into one of the best defenses in the NFL over the past three seasons, and has coached Myles Garrett to what will soon be two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. Browns rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger is also the favorite to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Monken, the Browns offensive coordinator in 2019 under Freddie Kitchens, brings 11 years NFL coaching experience, and decades in coaching overall.
This post will be updated.
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