No retreads. No need for a defensive-minded HC. Just 3 names that would fall under the category of being “acceptable.”
The Cleveland Browns are well known for cycling through quarterbacks, but no one should sleep on their ability to churn through head coaches.
Under the ownership of Al Lerner and then his son, Randy, the Browns went through five full-time head coaches from 1999 through 2011. Rather than realize that it is a recipe for disaster, current owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam took it as one of those “hold my beer” challenges, and are now searching for their seventh full-time head coach after Monday’s decision to fire Kevin Stefanski.
Having been through this so many times, it should be easy to pull up a list of available head coaches and create the “three top options” for the next man tasked with leading the Browns to glory. However, reviewing the various lists of candidates leaves one feeling less than enthusiastic.
However, much like Myles Garrett taking the money to stay with the Browns, this is what we signed up for, so let’s set a few guardrails before we dive in.
First off, absolutely no retreads. Everyone believes they are going to find the next Bill Belichick or Andy Reid, but the odds are you are going to wind up with the next Hue Jackson, Lovie Smith, Jeff Fisher, or Ken Whisenhunt. So, thank you for your interest, Mike McCarthy, Robert Salah, Brian Flores, and Kliff Kingsbury; however, we are moving forward with other candidates.
We are also going to work under the assumption that the NFL remembers that Jim Schwartz was 29-51 in five years as head coach of the Detroit Lions, so no one will be giving him a call. That keeps him in Cleveland as defensive coordinator, which means the head coach search will focus on offensive-minded candidates.
Enough stalling, here are three options that, while we may not be fully endorsing them, are names that would be acceptable if the Browns decide to give it a go.
Joe Brady
As offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers for two years (2020 and 2021), Brady did not have much to work with at quarterback as the team cycled through Teddy Bridgewater, P.J. Walker, Sam Darnold, and Cam Newton. Those Carolina teams finished at No. 24 and No. 29 in points per game, and were at or near the bottom of the league in yards gained.
But after moving to the Buffalo Bills and taking over as offensive coordinator in 2024, Brady called the shots for an offense that finished No. 2 in scoring and No. 10 in yards behind MVP quarterback Josh Allen. The offense may not be as explosive this season, but the Bills are among the league leaders in both categories and have one of the best running games, which is always popular with Browns fans who love nothing more than running the ball.
Brady also knows what bad quarterback play looks like from his time with the Panthers, which would presumably be helpful as the Browns are planning a “heavy investment” into the offense, which includes the quarterback position.
Klint Kubiak
Klint Kubiak is one of those assistant coaches who has paid his dues without ever being a head coach. He started in 2013 as an offensive quality control coach with the Minnesota Vikings for two seasons. Kubiak’s tenure in Minnesota overlapped with Kevin Stefanski, which Kubiak may want to downplay in his introductory news conference, given the way fans currently feel about Stefanski.
In addition to Minnesota, Kubiak has held a variety of positions with the Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, and the Seattle Seahawks, where he has helped a Sam Darnold-led offense that is among the league leaders in scoring and yards per play. He also maximized the talents of wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Cleveland’s wide receivers can use all the help they can find.
Grant Udinski
The Browns have tried just about everything imaginable when it comes to hiring a head coach, with the exception of going for a youngster full of vim, vigor, and fresh ideas. They could remedy that with the current Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator, Grant Udinski, who is turning 30 this month.
Udinski is in his first season as an offensive coordinator and does not call the plays, but he was the assistant quarterback coach last season in Minnesota when Sam Darnold miraculously started to play like an NFL quarterback, and helped Trevor Lawrence rediscover his mojo this year with the Jaguars.
Hire Udinski and let him work with the quarterbacks, pair him with an offensive coordinator of his choice, keep Schwartz running the defense, and by the time the Browns move into the domed stadium in Brook Park, they may be running the league.
Who are some of your top options at Head Coach for Cleveland? Join fellow Browns fans in the comment section below.
Category: General Sports
