CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Browns seem to be leaning toward one of their young offensive-minded candidates in Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase to replaced Kevin Stefanski, but their own defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is still very much in the mix, league sources say.
The Browns currently have five candidates for their head coach vacancy, including Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Commanders running backs coach/run game coordinator Anthony Lynn, who interviewed with the Browns for the first time on Saturday night in Florida. The former head coach of the Chargers, Lynn is the only candidate besides Schwartz with head coaching experience.
All five are still in it, but the young rising offensive stars and Schwartz seem to have the edge.
The Browns will fly to Los Angeles to interview Scheelhaase, 35, on Monday for the second time, but first time in person. It also ensures the Browns are Rooney Rule compliant and can hire their head coach at any time thereafter. Lynn was their first in-person diverse candidate and Scheelhaase will be the second.
Of course, if Scheelhaase is the Browns’ No. 1 target, they might have to wait for him. If the Rams beat the Seahawks Sunday night to advance to the Super Bowl Feb. 8, the Browns won’t be able to hire him until Feb. 9.
If they have Udinski, 30, or Schwartz, 59, as their No. 1, they’ll be able to hire one of them as early as Monday after the Scheelhaase interview.
The Browns also haven’t ruled out Monken, 59, likely because they wanted to have a comfort level with the two young offensive-minded candidates and their ability to lead the team before letting Monken walk. If he’s passed over as head coach, he’ll likely join John Harbaugh as coordinator with the Giants. Of the Browns’ three offensive candidates, Monken is the only one with playcalling experience, having been a coordinator for seven seasons, compared to one for Udinski and none for Scheelhaase.
Udinski, Scheelhaase and Monken are all open to keeping Schwartz as defensive coordinator if he doesn’t get promoted, and the same might be true for Lynn, 57. Schwartz, who’s presided over one of the best defenses in the NFL the past three seasons, has a year left on his Browns contract.
He’d also love to replace Stefanski and return to the head chair for the first time since 2013, when he was fired by the Lions after going 29-51 in his five seasons there, and 0-1 in the playoffs. Schwartz has the strong endorsement of Browns key defenders such as soon-to-be two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward.
Udinski’s second interview with the Browns on Friday at team headquarters in Berea went well, a league source said, and he’s still high on their list. Udinski, who turned 30 on Jan. 12, would be the youngest coach ever hired in the NFL, beating out Sean McVay, who was hired at 30 years and 353 days. Udinski also interviewed for the Bills head coach vacancy on Saturday for the first time, the same day Lynn interviewed with the Browns.
All but Lynn have either interviewed with the Browns a second time or will.
On Monday in Los Angeles, Scheelhaase must convince the Browns he can lead the team and elevate it to a championship level. The job description will include managing all of the adversity that coaches face on a daily basis. Scheelhaase has never been a coordinator or called plays in the NFL, but is McVay’s “drawer” of plays, which has been a stepping stone for other McVay disciples to head coaching gigs including Bengals coach Zac Taylor and Jaguars coach Liam Cohen.
Scheelhaase also starred as a dual-threat quarterback at Illinois from 2009-13, finishing as the all-time leader in total offense with 10,634 yards – which ranks seventh in Big Ten history. He’s one of just two players in Big Ten history to total over 8,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards during his collegiate career and was the only quarterback in Illini history to win back-to-back bowl games. His QB experience is highly valued on a team that’s made finding the right quarterback their No. 1 priority.
Udinski also hasn’t called plays but has climbed quickly up the offensive ranks in his six NFL seasons because of his innovative offensive mind and tremendous leadership skills. He’s earned praise from quarterbacks coach as the Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy, and the Jaguars Trevor Lawrence, who had one of the best seasons of his career in 2025 with Udinski at the helm.
By the end of the Browns’ interview with Scheelhaase on Monday, they should know who their next coach will be. And if it’s Scheelhaase, they might have to be patient for another two weeks.
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