CLEVELAND, Ohio — What I heard about the Browns’ decision to hire Todd Monken as head coach.
1. The final three candidates were Nate Scheelhaase, Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and Monken. In the end, Monken prevailed because of the Browns desperately need to revive the offense. The Browns had an 8-26 record in the last two seasons. They averaged 16 points per game, fewest in the NFL in that span. They ranked 29th out of 32 teams in total yards.
2. Before dealing with Monken, let’s look at Scheelhaase. He was impressive in interviews and had excellent references. The question hanging over his candidacy was “Did the Browns want to hand over the team to a 35-year-old who has only two years of NFL experience?” He was passing game coordinator for the Rams. With the Rams, head coach Sean McVay called the plays. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur also was ahead of Scheelhaase in terms of position on the coaching staff.
3. The Browns believe Scheelhaase has the right stuff to eventually be a head coach. They consider him “an elite leader with a knack of connecting with people.” Before coming to the NFL in 2024, Scheelhaase was an assistant at Iowa State. He became an offensive coordinator in 2023, and that was the only year he called plays. Given the challenges of the Browns’ situation, the team thought Scheelhaase needed more experience in the NFL before becoming a head coach.
4. Schwartz is 59. He is one of the NFL’s premier defensive coordinators. He has longed for another shot at being a head coach. He had that job with Detroit from 2009-13. He had to believe Cleveland may have been his chance at another head coaching position. I heard he was “heartbroken” when Monken was chosen. Schwartz did interview with Baltimore, but it was a first-round Zoom call. The Ravens didn’t seem that serious about his candidacy.
Jim Schwartz is under contract for two more years as the Browns defensive coordinator.John Kuntz, cleveland.com
5. The Browns picked Monken over Schwarz because Monken’s strength lined up with the team’s weakness – offense. Monken was well-prepared with what the team considered innovative ideas about the offense. Schwartz is a defensive guy. In this search, the focus was finding a “demanding leader” who was strong on offense.
6. The Browns are going to wait a while before talking to Schwartz about returning. They believe this is a little like the Myles Garrett situation, where the star defensive end demanded to be traded and vowed never to play for the team again. He eventually signed a long-term contract to stay with the Browns.
7. The Browns know Schwartz was “very hurt” by the decision. That’s understandable. He believed he was the right man for the job because of his connection with the players and knowledge of the organization. That’s also why the Browns want him back, along with his skill as a defensive coordinator. Right now is a “cooling off” period.
8. This is just my guess, but it’s very possible the Browns can offer him a longer deal with a raise. He is under contract for two more seasons. Monken has indicated he wants Schwartz to run the defense. The two men never were on the same coaching staff and don’t know each other that well.
Todd Monken was wanted by new Giants coach John Harbaugh to be his offensive coordinator in New York. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
9. When the final three candidates emerged, I wondered if the plan was for Schwartz to be the head coach and Monken the offensive coordinator. But Monken was going to go to the Giants as the offensive coordinator for John Harbaugh. The former Ravens coach was holding the job open for him.
10. Some fans have acted as if Monken came out of nowhere and has never been considered for a head coaching position. He interviewed for the L.A. Chargers job in 2024. Jim Harbaugh was hired. In 2025, he interviewed for the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville openings. His first interview for a head coaching spot was with Green Bay in 2019. Matt LaFleur was hired. That led to Monken taking an offensive coordinator job with the Browns in 2019 under Freddie Kitchens.
11. From 2020-22, Monken coached a high-powered offense at Georgia. His initial salary was $1 million a year. By 2022, he was making $2 million a year – believed to be the highest paid assistant coach in college football. His QB in the two Georgia title seasons was Stetson Bennett, a former 5-foot-11 walk-on. Bennett mostly passed from the pocket and was more of a pro-style QB. He has been a backup with the Rams but has yet to play in a regular season game.
12. The Browns believe Monken can coach almost any style of offense. In 2011, Monken became the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State when Brandon Weeden was a senior. They ran an “Air Raid” style offense, very wide open. That led to Weeden being a first-round pick of the Browns in 2012 at the age of 28.
Todd Monken helped Georgia win two national titles. AP
13. Monken was the offensive coordinator for three years in Tampa Bay with Jameis Winston. He also was offensive coordinator for three years with Baltimore and Lamar Jackson.
14. The point is, Monken is not married to any style. Jackson is a running-style QB whose passing improved with Monken. Winston threw from the pocket, a classic pro-style QB. Weeden was always in the shotgun.
15. In his last season (2015) as head coach at Southern Mississippi, Monken used a spread offense. His QB was Nick Mullens. Southern Mississippi averaged 510 yards per game and 40 points. Southern Mississippi was 0-12 before Monken was hired in 2013. By 2015, the team had a 9-5 record. Then Monken left for Tampa Bay to be the offensive coordinator.
16. In his three seasons (2022-25) calling plays for Baltimore, the Ravens ranked No. 1 in rushing yards, No. 2 in total yards and No. 3 in points per game. In the two years before Monken arrived, Baltimore’s offense ranked 19th and 17th in points. Jackson had three of his top four QB ratings in his three years with Monken. The non-Monken best was in 2019.
17. The Browns compare the 59-year-old Monken to Bruce Arians, who didn’t become an NFL head coach until he was 60. He had been a long-time offensive coordinator, including a stop with the Browns (2001-03). Earlier in his career, Arians’ only head coaching experience was at Temple University before being hired as an interim coach with the Colts. Arians was a head coach with 12 games in 2012. He then was the head coach at Arizona (2013-17) and Tampa Bay (2019-21). He won a Super Bowl with Tom Brady and had an overall 49-30 record.
18. Is Monken the next Arians? Who knows? But the fact that he’s had a lot of experience winning with a variety of QBs should be considered an asset – not a negative because of his age. He is an old-school coach in terms of discipline, but very innovative when it comes to strategy. He also came up with an overall plan for the Browns, not just offense. That led to him emerging as the leader the more the Browns researched his background.
