The Here We Go Yet Again "New and Improved" Browns Coaching Search Thread

Stefanski, Dabol and McDaniels are available now. Yet no announcement?

Could it be that Slam and Podesta are truly doing their homework this time? They've reportedly asked to see 3 GM candidates who are linked to Stefanski, Saleh, and I guess you could consider Schwartz.

Given that time has become less of a factor, I like that they are actually talking to the GM's recomended by these coaches, as a deeper dive into truly marrying the GM / HC.

 

Looks like Stefanski is the guy.

 

I told you guy's you couldn't have him. Nobody listens to me !

 

Well.... All we have is hope that he is the right one at this point.

Off we go...

 

Obviously not my #1 choice but, at least, he wasn't on my cringe-worthy list. Like I said, if they were bound and determined to go with an offensive mind, glad it wasn't McDaniels or Daboll.

 

Agreed Lym. I just hope he's got a pair.

 

Report: Browns Plan to Sign Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski to Head-Coach Contract


Kevin Stefanski will reportedly be the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns after spending the past season as the Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

ESPN's Adam Schefter also confirmed the team's plans.

The 37-year-old spent 14 seasons on the Vikings staff dating back to 2006, working his way up from an assistant to a position coach and eventually offensive coordinator.

He was first promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator on an interim basis for the final three games in 2018 and then remained in the role in 2019. He took over a squad that averaged 21.7 points per game in the first 13 games and helped the team average 26 points per game in the final three weeks of 2018.

The Vikings offense was much more effective overall this past season, improving from the No. 19 scoring offense to the No. 8 scoring offense in 2019. The unit was especially dominant in the run game while ranking sixth in the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, helping Dalvin Cook earn his first Pro Bowl selection.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins also thrived even with a smaller role in the offense, setting a career high with a 107.4 quarterback rating which ranked fourth-best in the NFL.

Stefanski got the most out of his players during the regular season and eventually helped lead the Vikings to the second round of the playoffs. This type of year made him a hot name in the coaching carousel, getting early interviews with the Browns and Panthers.

He interviewed for the Cleveland head coaching job last season and was reportedly a favorite of chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta, but Baker Mayfield helped push the team to hire Freddie Kitchens, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Kitchens was fired after one disappointing season that saw the promising squad end the year with a 6-10 record.

With DePodesta now running the coaching search, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, it seems he got a second chance at his top choice.

Stefanski will now take over a team that has plenty of talent, especially offensively with Mayfield, Nick Chubb, Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry among others. Based on his history, he could do a better job of featuring Chubb and Kareem Hunt in the rushing attack while taking pressure off Mayfield through the air.

Though his lack of high-level coaching experience is a concern—especially after Kitchens' problems in 2019—but Cleveland believes he has what it takes to get the squad to the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

 

Good write up on our new coach;

https://www.sbnation.com/2020/1/12/21062472/kevin-stefanski-cleveland-browns-baker-mayfield

Hopefully he can get Baker back on track....

 

Agreed. I am not a fan of either of those two.

I'll reserve comment until we see what kind of coaching staff he puts together.

 

Well I decided long ago (last weekend) that I'm not going to get excited regardless of who this team hires as HC. Hell, they could have Bill Belichick in the fold and probably figure out a way to mess it up..... Oh wait?

 

If they kept him he would be in Baltimore now.

 

Seriously though, I like the hire as much as any other candidate that was on the radar. One of these days we'll get it right.

 

You think you will live that long?

 

I have my doubts...

 

Kevin Stefanski... my bronze medal.

Boy did I get this wrong. Mary Kay Clickbait is reporting the choice came down to Robert Saleh and Kevin Stefanski... guess they grabbed the guy who was available as it was a close finish for those two. Albert Breer reported McDaniels told Browns he wanted to make "sweeping organizational changes", so he either (1) hasn't learned a thing in the 10 years since Denver, or (2) never really wanted the job in the first place. Good on Haslam for not caving, despite the obvious love-affair with McD.

Hopefully, @Lyman got to rest easy without much cringe.

IF -- big emphasis on this bad boy, given our track record -- Haslam can stay out of the way and stick to the plan (completely organizational alignment), I think this can work out well for everybody. I'm done making assumptions -- based on track record -- of what a coach will or won't do. I will, however, lean in when I see the organization trying to *finally* get on the same page.

Dorsey and Kitchens were so anti-analytics it was never going to work. McDaniels, Schwartz, guys like that would have been the same way. It's being reported that someone with analytics bend will be on the headsets on game day with Stefanski -- similar to what Baltimore is doing. I'm not saying this will work, but it's worth a shot. How many inexcusable calls in 2019 could have been avoided by one person on the line saying "hey... this has a 2% chance of working" (looking at you, draw on fourth-and-nine).

As others have said... how the staff is built out will be almost more important than Stefanski himself. He needs to be the CEO capable of hiring qualified people and delegating responsibilities, but having the vision and the decisiveness to make the right calls. Here's hoping for the best...

 

2012-2013: Shotgun marriage between Haslam and Holmgren, followed by shotgun marriage between Haslam and Banner/Lombardi at NFL's advice

2014-2016: After being spurned by trusting those around him, Haslam becomes a meddlesome owner (like Jerry Jones) in personnel and game-day decisions; allows Kyle Shannahan to walk out the door

2016-2017: Aligned on analytics-based approach, save one big detail: Haslam trumps coaching search committee and hires Hue Jackson -- no organizational alignment, over-trusts a "qualified" person (Hue)

2018-2019: Focus on "real football" approach and over-trusting a qualified person (Dorsey) leads to more dysfunction and with DePo still int he building, the "real football" guys spurn analytics to a fault meaning more misalignment top-to-bottom

2020: Haslam at the top of the organizational structure picks a head coach who (as it's being reported today was the consensus pick and not his personal favorite), allows DePo to structure the vision for the organization, harmonizing analytics and football which should lead to lower roster turnover

Sure... this could fail (and the cynics would say "will, since it's Cleveland") but for the first time in his ownership period, Jimmy is not commanding the show, nor does he appear to be mis-aligning the key individuals. They're interviewing GM candidates who match up and presumably will extend an offer to one who aligns as well.

Imagine a full year (with this roster) and everyone walking in the same direction.

 

I've heard rumors that Kevin Stefanski has ties to Pat Shurmur, and that Pat could possibly wind up being our OC.

Seriously praying that this is just some cruel joke. I seriously don't think I could take it anymore if PS somehow ends up back in the fold.....smh.

 

I think Denver already offered him the OC job.

 

BINGO !!!

It matters not how a candidate performed as a Coordinator. It only matters how they can perform as a Head Coach. With only two exceptions (neither of which set the world on fire), none of the candidates had prior Head Coaching experience. There are quite a few current Head Coaches around the league that share this profile (three out of the four still playing for a conference championship). To me, how Stefanski fills out his coaching staff is far more telling than who moves into Dorsey's old office.