The Cleveland Browns have a new head coach. Against all odds, they went with Todd Monken, a decision not many people saw coming, and most fans speculated that it had plenty to do with team owner Jimmy Haslam.
Per multiple reports, Monken will have to build his coaching staff from the ground up, as defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who's still under contract for another year, refuses to work for him. That's a bit of an issue, given that they could've hired Monken and gotten this over with weeks ago. Also, Haslam's determination to keep Schwartz in town may have affected their interview process.
Monken has already started building his coaching staff, poaching former Baltimore Ravens OL coach George Warhop. And according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, his plans for the rest of the coaching staff might spell trouble for John Harbaugh and the New York Giants.
"The Todd Monken hiring by the Browns has thrown a bit of a wrench into the Giants’ plans with HC John Harbaugh," Schultz wrote on X. "Monken is now working to bring some coaches from Baltimore that Harbaugh also had interest in, per sources. Case in point: former Ravens OL coach George Warhop just followed Monken to Cleveland, but he was also a serious candidate to join the Giants. There are a few situations like this unfolding right now."
Todd Monken’s staff building could leave John Harbaugh empty‑handed
Harbaugh may no longer be in the AFC North, but after 19 years of dealing with him, Browns fans will certainly love this. He seemed to be waiting for Monken to join the ship, so he was probably also caught off guard by the Browns' decision to hire him.
Monken has been a coach for nearly four decades, and he has 11 years of NFL experience. That being said, he's never been a head coach, so it only makes sense that he surrounds himself with people he knows and trusts, most of whom should come from the John Harbaugh coaching tree.
Browns fans have every right to feel slightly disappointed about getting Monken. He never seemed to be a legitimate candidate to land the job. That being said, it's way too early to turn on him, and he deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Nate Scheelhaase and Grant Udinski didn't have previous head-coaching experience either; one of them hadn't even called plays at the NFL level. And while it's always nice to have young minds with fresh ideas around, Monken has adapted and adjusted to modern times, orchestrating one of the NFL's most proficient offenses in Baltimore over the past three years.
Now, fans can only hope he'll do the same in Berea, and bringing in some of the people who helped him do that with the Ravens is a logical first step.