Cleveland Browns pursuit of Kevin Stefanski may become difficult

Kevin Stefanski was a finalist for the Cleveland Browns head coaching vacancy last offseason, but it may be harder to lure him this time around.

Had it not been for John Dorsey’s stubbornness last offseason, current Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski would have just finished his first season as the Cleveland Browns head coach. Instead, he is once again a candidate to be Cleveland’s head coach just one year later.

Stefanski has been viewed as one of the favorites for the Browns head coaching vacancy, especially with Browns Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta running the head coaching search process. Stefanski was DePodesta’s choice for head coach last offseason.

However, despite the Browns front office leaning back towards a deeper analytical approach than they had under John Dorsey, it may not be so easy to hire Stefanski as Cleveland’s head coach. Stefanksi’s availability will likely depend on the result of Vikings’ playoff game on Sunday.

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Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer has led the Vikings to their third playoff appearance in his six seasons as the team’s head coach. However, Zimmer’s job is not safe and a loss on Sunday could seal his fate.

If the Vikings do lose and Minnesota fires Zimmer, Stefanski would likely be a leading candidate to fill the vacancy. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported Friday that he would be surprised if Zimmer remains head coach if the Vikings “get thumped” by the Saints on Sunday.

Stefanski has been with the Vikings since 2006 and has served in several roles. He has remained in Minnesota despite serving under three different head coaches. Since he has been critical to the success of the Vikings this season and is a candidate for several head coaching vacancies, the Vikings ownership and front office may not want this to be the time Stefanski leaves Minnesota.

Stefanski has built Minnesota’s offense to rely on Dalvin Cook and the running game. He then builds his offense off Cook’s efficiency and uses play-action to create openings for Kirk Cousins to make throws downfield. After Cousins struggled during his first season with Minnesota in 2018, Stefanski has made Cousins an efficient quarterback in 2019. The success of the offense has helped Minnesota finish the 2019 regular season with a 10-6 record.

With Stefanski looking like one of the next best offensive minds to get a head coaching opportunity, Minnesota may not want to wait another season to try to find the next offensive mind to hire as their head coach. Instead, it would be easier to keep a loyal staffer who has emerged as a potential top candidate around the NFL and someone who is already critical to their success.

It also must be said that Stefanski could emerge as a candidate for other head coaching vacancies this offseason. The Browns were the only team to interview Stefanski for a head coaching vacancy last offseason. With more teams potentially in the running for Stefanski, it would likely be harder for the Browns to land the 37-year-old coach.

Stefanski is planning on conducting his interviews later next week, but the date could be pushed up if the Vikings lose to the Saints. The Browns will have conducted most of their initial head coaching interviews by that time next week, and Stefanski could be one of their last initial interviews. If the Vikings have lost and they move on from Zimmer by that time, it may be more about the Browns selling themselves instead of Stefanski selling himself to Cleveland.

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As the Browns reported candidates came out, it seemed like Stefanski and Josh McDaniels were the favorites for the head coaching vacancy. But if the Vikings season ends on Sunday, it could be much harder for the Browns to land Stefanski if he is their No. 1 candidate.

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