The Cleveland Browns hired Todd Monken to be their new head coach on Wednesday.
Monken spent the past three seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, where he worked with former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, but has experience with the Browns franchise. In 2019, he was the offensive coordinator when Cleveland finished 6-10, resulting in the firing of head coach Freddie Kitchens and his staff.
Monken turns 60 on Feb. 5.
This is the first NFL head coaching job for Monken, who held the same position at Southern Miss (2013-15). The team was 13-25 under Monken, who led the Golden Eagles to a 9-5 record and a bowl game in his final season.
“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,” Browns general manager Andrew 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 has spent the latter half of his career zigzagging from college to the NFL and back again. Before taking the job at Southern Miss, he spent 15 seasons as an assistant coach on the offensive side of the ball in college, then took his first NFL job coaching wide receivers for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2007-10).
He left Southern Miss to become the offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-17) and subsequently held the same job with the Browns, the University of Georgia (2020-22) and the Ravens.
“The lessons he learned from John Harbaugh and Kirby Smart as well as his demonstrated track record turning around Southern Miss have shown us that he has a full understanding of what the position requires and the capacity to execute,” Berry said. “We cannot wait to get started and we welcome Todd, Terri and Travis to Cleveland.”
The Browns interviewed nine candidates to find a replacement for Kevin Stefanski, who was fired earlier this month after a 5-12 season. The Browns finished above .500 in two of his six seasons. The Atlanta Falcons subsequently hired Stefanski for their head coach opening.
Among the candidates, five were interviewed a second time: Monken, Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and Washington Commanders run game coordinator Anthony Lynn.
Monken is the 19th full-time head coach in the history of the Browns.
Owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam also released the following statement:
“We are very excited to name Todd Monken the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Todd is highly intelligent, and his experienced, innovative offensive mindset has been at the forefront of constructing productive and successful offenses at the NFL and collegiate level over the last 20 years. He 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. We welcome Todd, Terri, and the rest of the Monken family back to the Browns and look forward to him establishing the winning culture that will lead our team to the success our fans so deserve.”
–Field Level Media
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