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The Cleveland Browns have hired former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken to be their next head coach, the team announced Wednesday.
Monken, who turns 60 on Feb. 5, replaces Kevin Stefanski, who was fired Jan. 5 after six seasons in Cleveland. The Browns finished 5-12 this past season and have an 8-26 record since last reaching the playoffs in the 2023 season.
Cleveland hiring Monken leaves John Harbaugh and the New York Giants in search of a new offensive coordinator. Many expected Monken to follow Harbaugh to New York if he were not hired as a head coach.
Monken, who had spent the past three seasons in Baltimore and was not retained on new Ravens coach Jesse Minter’s staff, will become Cleveland’s 11th full-time coach since returning to the NFL in 1999, which trails only the Las Vegas Raiders (13) during that span. He previously served as the Browns’ offensive coordinator during the 2019 season on Freddie Kitchens’ staff.
NFL RANKRush YPG166.91stRush TD703rdYards per Rush5.31stRush YBC3.31st– ESPN Research
“[Monken] 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 owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement.
Monken was one of five candidates with whom the Browns held in-person interviews, along with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Jacksonville Jaguars OC Grant Udinski, Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase and Washington Commanders run game coordinator/running backs coach Anthony Lynn. Udinski, who interviewed last Friday, withdrew his name from consideration, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Scheelhaase plans to remain with the Rams in 2026 after interviewing for several head coaching jobs this year, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Cleveland scheduled second, in-person interviews with former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and Minter, who was the Los Angeles Chargers’ defensive coordinator, but both withdrew from consideration; McDaniel joined the Chargers as their new offensive coordinator, and Minter agreed to terms with the Ravens.
Monken, a longtime assistant with more than three decades of experience in the college and NFL ranks, will embark on his first opportunity as an NFL head coach. He was the head coach at the University of Southern Mississippi from 2013 to 2015, registering a 13-25 regular-season record. In 2015, Monken guided the program to a 9-5 season and an appearance in the Heart of Dallas Bowl and was named Conference USA Coach of the Year. He then left to be the offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he served in the role for the next three seasons.
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Monken drew NFL head coaching interest in the previous two offseasons, as well. In 2023, he spoke with the Chargers and Carolina Panthers about their openings. Last year, he interviewed with the Jaguars and Chicago Bears for their head coach positions.
Monken arrived in Baltimore after a successful three-year run as the offensive coordinator at the University of Georgia, where he contributed to the Bulldogs’ back-to-back national championships in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
In Monken’s first season with the Ravens, he helped quarterback Lamar Jackson win his second Most Valuable Player award in 2023. The following season, the Ravens finished with the No. 1 offense for the first time in franchise history.
Monken took Jackson to new heights in his first two seasons as Baltimore’s playcaller. In 2024, Jackson set career highs in passing yards (4,172), passing touchdowns (41) and yards per attempt (8.8).
But in 2025, when Jackson missed four games and didn’t finish two others, the Ravens struggled with their consistency, especially in the red zone (27th in the NFL). And, despite great success together in 2023 and 2024, Jackson and Monken had chemistry issues this past season, according to team sources. Monken’s hard-driving coaching style didn’t mesh well with Jackson, one source said.
Monken’s NFL experience also includes a stint as wide receivers coach for the Jaguars from 2007 to 2010.
In Cleveland, Monken will be tasked with rebuilding an offense that ranked last in scoring over the previous two seasons (15.8 points per game). Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees joined Stefanski’s staff with the Atlanta Falcons in the same role. Wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea is joining the Kansas City Chiefs in the same capacity.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry, who led the head coaching search, said at his end-of-season news conference that the offense would have “significant investment” in the offseason. He also said the new head coach will have a say in the decision at quarterback. Deshaun Watson, who did not play in 2025 as he rehabbed a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in October 2024, is expected to be on the roster in 2026. He would rejoin a quarterbacks room that also includes Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, who started six and seven games, respectively, as rookies.
“Todd has a varied and diverse background that we found as a particularly appealing match for our team at this stage in its life cycle,” Berry said in a statement. “He has a direct, demanding, and detail-oriented leadership style that will create a great incubator for a young team. His successful offensive track record at both the pro and college level with a variety of offensive systems and QB skill sets will allow maximum flexibility as we make several, long-term investments on that side of the ball.”
Monken will inherit a defense that has been one of the NFL’s best units in the previous three seasons. Since the arrival of Schwartz in 2023, the Browns’ defense has allowed the fewest yards per game (298.6) and posted the best third-down conversion rate (33.8%) in the league. Defensive end Myles Garrett also won a Defensive Player of the Year award under Schwartz in 2020. Garrett is the overwhelming favorite to win his second DPOY award at NFL Honors next week after recording 23 sacks and breaking the NFL’s single-season sack record.
It’s unclear whether Monken will retain Schwartz, who is still under contract with the Browns. Jimmy Haslam previously said he “absolutely” would like to keep Schwartz in the organization. Berry, while saying he is satisfied with the state of the defense, added that staff decisions will be the “prerogative” of the new head coach. There is “no guarantee” Schwartz will return as defensive coordinator, however, a source told Fowler.
The Browns hold the sixth and 24th picks in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft as part of 10 total selections.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley contributed to this report.
