CLEVELAND, Ohio — New Giants coach John Harbaugh waited patiently for his trusted three-year Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken to join him in that capacity in New York, only to discover on Wednesday that the Browns had hired him as their 19th head coach instead.
Harbaugh, who had talked to the Browns for 45 minutes on the phone early on in their search to gauge mutual interest, had reportedly taken a stand in Baltimore on not parting ways with Monken, which may have contributed to his firing.
But Harbaugh understood how valuable Monken was to his offense, one that finished in the top five in the NFL in several key categories from 2023-25, including first in rushing yards with 8,512 yards – 166.9 yards per game – second in scrimmage yards with 19,860, and third in points per game with 27.9. Baltimore was also third with 70 rushing touchdowns and fifth with 91 receiving touchdowns in that span.
What’s more, Lamar Jackson earned his second AP NFL MVP award in Monken’s first season in Baltimore, going 13-3 and throwing for 3,678 yards. The Ravens also finished No. 1 in total yards for the first time in team history. The following year, Jackson threw for 41 touchdowns against only four interceptions, earning a league-high 119.6 rating.
Thanks in part to Monken’s explosive offenses, the Ravens won the AFC North in 2023 and 2024, finishing 13-3 and 12-5, respectively.
“Todd is an outstanding coach,” Harbaugh said, via the Browns. “He’s worked his way up and paid his dues. He was invaluable in what we did the past three years in Baltimore. He deserves this opportunity and I believe he’ll be successful. Todd is a good friend. I wish him all the best with the Browns.”
Monken is bringing some of the Ravens’ offensive assistants to Cleveland that he would’ve taken to New York, including offensive line coach George Warhop, who coached the Browns offensive line from 2009-13. In that span, Browns Hall of Famer Joe Thomas made the AP All-Pro first team four times and the Pro Bowl five times.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart was equally effusive in his praise of Monken, who helped him win back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022 in his three years as offensive coordinator there (2020-22).
In 2021, the Bulldogs won their first national championship since 1980, with a stellar offense to go along with arguably college football’s best defense ever. Georgia’s offense ranked in the top 10 in points per game (38.6, ninth), yards per play (7.0, fourth) and total first downs (341, tied for seventh).
In 2002, Georgia won its second-consecutive national championship, leading the nation in total net yards (7,517) and total points (616), with Heisman Trophy finalist QB Stetson Bennett throwing 27 TD passes and rushing for 10 more.
“Todd brought an exceptional level of professionalism and creativity to our program,” Smart said, via the Browns. “His ability to develop quarterbacks and craft game plans tailored to our players’ strengths was instrumental to our success. What we accomplished wouldn’t have been possible without his impact. We’re incredibly excited for Todd and Terri.”
Monken also coached former Browns quarterback Jameis Winston, now with the Giants, during his early years with the Bucs, who made him the No. 1 pick in the NFL out of Florida State in 2015. In 2016, Winston led the Bucs to their first winning season in six years while setting franchise records for passing yards and passing touchdowns in a season. That year, he also became the first NFL quarterback to start his career with back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons.
In Monken’s three seasons as Bucs coordinator, they ranked third in first downs per game (22.5), second in passing yards per game (279.5) and first in third-down conversion percentage (44.4%). They also led the NFL in passing offense (320.3 ypg.) and finished third in total offense (415.5 ypg.), setting single-season club records in each category.
“Todd Monken is a tough, exciting coach that believes in empowering his players,” Winston said, via the Browns. “I am so grateful to see his hard work and dedication payoff with him being the head football coach for the Cleveland Browns. One inspirational quote and actually a mentality that Coach Monk invited our offense to adopt was, ‘Everything Matters’ and that obsession over every meeting and every play allowed us to have success.
“With his leadership and passion for every little detail will align perfectly with a hungry fan base who loves their team no matter what and an exciting young roster ready to make a difference in Cleveland.”
Winston will undoubtedly put in a good word for Monken with his good friend Deshaun Watson, who’s excited to work with him, a source said. He’ll likely do the same for his mentee Shedeur Sanders, who shared Monken’s hiring announcement photo on his Instagram story Wednesday, with the caption “Time for work.”
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