Owner Jimmy Haslam reportedly just made it official. The Cleveland Browns are moving on from Kevin Stefanski, the winningest head coach in the franchise’s expansion era.
The writing had been on the wall for weeks, but the two-time AP Coach of the Year didn’t exactly make it easy. After playing the playoff-bound Buffalo Bills tough in a 23-20 loss at home in Week 16, the Browns won back-to-back games over division rivals Pittsburgh and Cincinnati to finish the season at 5-12.
Kevin Stefanski coached 101 regular-season games as Browns head coach — the most for the franchise since Blanton Collier’s 112 games from 1963–1970. https://t.co/2AgqKXfKZJ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 5, 2026
The Browns won those games with a patchwork lineup as injuries piled up over the latter part of the season. In the Sunday’s season finale, the Browns beat the Bengals without their leading rusher (Quinshon Judkins), receiver (Harold Fannin Jr.) and tackler (Carson Schwesinger).
It wasn’t enough to buy Stefanski another year. He closed his six-year tenure in Cleveland with 45 wins, 56 losses, and two playoff berths, with his pair of late-season wins doing little but dropping the Browns’ from third to sixth in the 2026 draft order.
That’s a nice parting gift for Andrew Berry, the general manager who joined the Browns shortly after Stefanski was hired in 2020. Berry will remain in his post through this upcoming coaching search, an ownership decision that rightfully has Browns fans scratching their heads.
Where do the Browns go from here now that the Kevin Stefanski era is officially over?
Cleveland could end up selling itself to coaching candidates during this year’s cycle, rather than the other way around.
The Browns’ situation entering the 2026 offseason isn’t all that inviting. The team is currently facing a projected salary cap deficit, with the Deshaun Watson contract debacle still yet to be resolved. The situation at QB remains unsettled despite rookie Shedeur Sanders showing some promise over his seven starts to close the season. The Browns will also need to overhaul the offensive line and find more productive wide receivers to have any shot of relevance next year.
Cleveland could have to get creative in its search, if top candidates like Jesse Minter, Chris Shula and Joe Brady prefer more ready-made situations. One path forward could be the inside hire, as Browns’ leadership is reportedly high on both Jim Schwartz and Tommy Rees. Schwartz’s group put its best foot forward in Sunday’s finale, with the Browns scoring twice on defense in their 20-18 win over the Bengals.
As for potential outside hires? Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores should pique Cleveland’s interest, as his contract is up in Minnesota and he’s been seeking a second chance to be a head coach. It’s complicated with his ongoing racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and three of its teams, but there might not be a better defensive coach in the game right now. Pairing Flores with Myles Garrett, Schwesinger, and Cleveland’s already dominant defense feels like a perfect match on paper.
Another name worth monitoring is Grant Udinski, the 29-year-old offensive coordinator of the surging Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s probably still a year away from getting serious looks as a head coach, but young, offensive minds have hit plenty in the 2020s, and Udinski has the next Sean McVay written all over him.
Where do the Browns go from here? There’s no easy answer, which should make these next few weeks edge-of-your-seat theater in Cleveland.