CLEVELAND, Ohio — Former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has pulled out of the Browns head coach search, and now they’re currently down to five finalists.
McDaniel, the Browns receivers coach in 2014, was scheduled for his in-person second interview on Wednesday, and canceled the session, removing himself from consideration, a league source told cleveland.com.
The Browns are now down to five candidates, who are all scheduled for second interviews this week or have completed them: Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, whom the Browns can’t interview until Monday because he’s in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.
The Browns must now also add one more minority or woman to their interview list to satisfy the Rooney Rule, which stipulates that they must interview two such candidates from outside the organization, and in person. McDaniel, who’s first interview was virtual and therefore doesn’t count, was to be one minority candidate and Scheelhaase the other.
It means the Browns can’t make their hire until they complete the interview with the two minorities or women.
McDaniel may have pulled out because he sensed he wasn’t going to get the job, or because he has other opportunities that he prefers. He’s interviewed for the Ravens and Raiders head coach gigs, and he also has offensive coordinator possibilities with the Titans and Chargers.
The Browns also have an uncertain quarterback situation that might be giving some candidates pause, with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders currently the frontrunners to start for the Browns next season unless they draft a quarterback or acquire a veteran that starts ahead of them.
As for their schedule of second interviews, the Browns talked to Schwartz on Monday and Monken on Tuesday. They now have an opening on Wednesday, and then they’ll talk to Minter on Thursday and Udzinski on Friday, league sources tell cleveland.com. They’ll circle back with Scheelhaase on Monday, and could be ready to hire their 19th coach soon after that interview, unless Scheelhaase advances to the Super Bowl and they opt to wait for him.
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