Cleveland Browns: The Search is Over; did they get the Right Man?

The Cleveland Browns, at long last, have hired a new head coach—welcome to Cleveland, Todd Monken. You may remember the former Offensive Coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens for his 2019 year as OC in Cleveland. Or maybe no, that season was very forgettable.

This move surprised many, as the expected next step was for Monken to follow his former boss, Jim Harbaugh, to the New York Giants. With Monken at the helm, the Browns are now (hopefully) set on a new course and can prepare for an impactful 2026 NFL Draft.

Monken has the distinction to be the 6th full time Head Coach hired by team owner Jimmy Haslam since 2013.

Cleveland Browns Head Coaches since 2013

2013 Rob Chudzinski

2014-2015 Mike Pettine

2016-2017 Hue Jackson

2018 Hue Jackson-Fired after 8 games and replaced with interim Head Coach Gregg Williams

2019 Freddie Kitchens

2020-2025 Kevin Stefanski

More About Monken

Todd Monken began his career as a graduate assistant at Grand Valley State University (1989-1990) and from 1991-1992 at the University of Notre Dame.

He went on to coach at Eastern Michigan, first guiding defensive backs and wide receivers and eventually taking on the role of Offensive Coordinator.

Monken continued coaching at the collegiate level until 2011, when he took on the role of wide receivers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. After a single season in the NFL, Monken moved on to Oklahoma State, where he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Monken was the Head Coach of the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles from 2013 to 2015. While there, he successfully turned the program from 0-12 the year before he arrived to 9-5 in his final season.

The NFL was Monken’s next destination, working as Offensive Coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-2018) and a season with the Cleveland Browns.

Moving to the NCAA in 2020, Monken found success as the Offensive Coordinator for the University of Georgia Bulldogs. During his time in Georgia, the Bulldogs earned back-to-back National Championships.

In 2022, the Baltimore Ravens hired Monken as their Offensive Coordinator. He would stay in this role through the 2025 season, leading a highly productive offense and working closely with quarterback Lamar Jackson to elevate his game.

Priorities

Taking on the daunting position as Head Coach of the Cleveland Browns appears to be Monken’s greatest challenge to date. Here are three of his main concerns.

* Quarterback Problems: Monken will need to sort out a quarterback room filled with contention and guys who are marginal at best.

* Wide Receivers: Throughout the 2025 season, the Browns had no player as their WR1. No matter who is under center, having receivers who don’t drop the ball will improve the entire offense.

* Offensive Line: It’s no secret that the Browns’ offensive line is struggling. They ranked near the bottom of both pass and run blocking. Keeping the QB upright and clearing a path for the running backs are fundamentals that the 2025 O-line did not execute.

The Browns’ decision to hire Todd Monken as their newest head coach has drawn criticism from many fans, while experts were surprised, they reacted somewhat neutrally. Ultimately, the Browns’ entire hiring process could best be described as chaotic.

It is possible that hiring Monken was a stopgap measure and will last for a single season. He’s got experience and a solid resume as an Offensive Coordinator, but zero time as an NFL Head Coach. While unverifiable, this hire feels like a Jimmy Haslam idea. And we all know how well his big, bright idea to give away the farm for Deshaun Watson panned out. So, since the Browns’ top brass can’t figure out how to move out of their own way, we go into the offseason in typical dysfunctional fashion. Is it next year yet?