As the Cleveland Browns opened their head coach search last month, the cloud hovering over their entire process was: Are there any candidates out there who really want the job?
The Browns, obviously, have long been lumped in with the New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, and Tennessee Titans of the NFL world — the dysfunctional franchises who routinely miss the playoffs and pick near the top of the NFL Draft. With eight total wins over the past two seasons, a sketchy salary cap situation, and some major question marks at quarterback, wide receiver and left tackle, Cleveland was always going to be a tough sell to the top candidates in this year’s hiring cycle.
That’s where Todd Monken set himself apart from guys like Grant Udinski, Nate Scheelhaase — and even Jim Schwartz. Only one of the Browns’ finalists truly wanted to be Cleveland’s head coach with every fiber of his being — and that was Monken.
It didn’t even take 60 seconds into his opening remarks during Tuesday’s introductory press conference in Berea for Monken to prove why he was the right man for the job.
“Man, am I excited to lead this flagship NFL franchise. I mean, it’s been a long time coming. It really has. It’s been a long journey, and there’s a lot of people, as we get down the road here, that I’m going to have to thank. But I’m jacked. I mean, I’m excited to be with the Cleveland Browns. I mean, it’s hard to even put into words.”
Todd Monken just proved he wanted the Browns job more than anyone else
The initial reaction from the fan base last week was understandable. Monken definitely wasn’t the sexy hire that Udinski or Scheelhaase would’ve been. He took the podium Tuesday wearing a baggy suit with an orange tie, and spoke with the raspy voice of a grizzled sideline veteran.
That’s exactly who Monken is — and may be exactly what the Browns need.
If anything, Monken came off as extremely authentic. He was emotional from the first word he spoke, at one point breaking down in tears. He wasn’t afraid to let a few cuss words slip, and answered every question head-on.
That’s the kind of leadership the Browns need right now, as there’s no hiding from the tough questions on Shedeur Sanders, Myles Garrett, Deshaun Watson, and Jim Schwartz. A less-trained voice may have struggled in that area, giving fans the dysfunctional introductory presser that they expected.
That wasn’t the case at all on Tuesday. Owner Jimmy Haslam, general manager Andrew Berry, and Monken were fully aligned in their messaging and felt like a program that, at the very least, had adults in the room with a clear plan.
Temperatures were high a week ago when Monken was first announced as the Browns’ next head coach, and rightfully so. But those temperatures had been cooling in Cleveland for days, and Tuesday’s introduction could end up being the turning point, when wary fan base began to fully buy in.