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New Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken is assembling his staff.
New Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken wasted little time bringing in the first addition to his staff.
Monken signed veteran offensive line coach George Warhop to his staff on Wednesday, bringing him over from the Baltimore Ravens. Prior to joining the Browns, Monken served as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator. He’s expected to target more coaches from his former coaching staff, though he’ll have to fend off John Harbaugh, now with the New York Giants.
It’s not the first go-around in Cleveland for Warhop in Cleveland. He previously coached the Browns’ offensive line from 2009 13. During that time, he coached Browns Hall of Fame left tackle Joe Thomas.
Warhop has decades of experience as an offensive line coach in the college and pro ranks. His other stops in the NFL have been with the St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans.
Mike Bloomgren previously served as the Browns’ offensive line coach.
Browns ‘Excited’ to Bring in Todd Monken
Monken was somewhat of a dark-horse candidate throughout the Browns’ coaching search, as much of the early attention centered on younger offensive minds. Ultimately, Cleveland opted for the veteran play-caller, believing Monken can bring stability and direction to a young roster that has managed just eight wins over the past two seasons.
“We are very excited to name Todd Monken the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns,” Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement. “Todd is highly intelligent, and his experienced, innovative offensive mindset has been at the forefront of constructing productive and successful offenses at the NFL and collegiate level over the last 20 years. He is an outstanding leader and has a clear vision to lead our team as a strong communicator who values trust with his players but also accountability and preparation.
“In our committee’s exhaustive reference work on Todd, his commitment to player development was evident, and his tough and straightforward coaching is respected by the players and the coaches he’s worked with, putting our team in a position to succeed while developing our players to maximize their talents.”
Browns Face Fallout After Todd Monken Hire
Monken faces the possibility of having to replace three coordinators. Special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone will be interviewing with multiple teams and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees joined Kevin Stefanski with the Atlanta Falcons.
The most important, however, is defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. He was a finalist for the head coaching job and felt slighted by the Browns’ decision to go with Monken, per multiple reports.
“Schwartz expected to get the HC job, especially after Grant Udinski dropped out. When informed this morning that the job was going to Todd Monken, Schwartz said goodbye to a few people and angrily told others he was ‘done’ with the Browns,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported. “Several players, including Myles Garrett, have a strong affinity for Schwartz. Schwartz is under contract with the Browns, so he can’t just leave. But as one source put it: ‘If it has to get ugly, Schwartz is someone who will be perfectly fine making it ugly.’”
Under Schwartz, the Browns finished last season allowing the fourth-fewest total yards per game (283.6) and the third-fewest passing yards per game (167.2). They also recorded 53 sacks — a franchise record — and tied for second in the NFL with eight defensive touchdowns.
J.R. DeGroote JR DeGroote is a staff writer for Heavy.com, where he has covered the NFL, NBA, and trending sports stories since 2019. His work focuses on some of the most passionate fanbases in sports, including reporting on the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. More about J.R. DeGroote
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