Midway through the Cleveland Browns’ exhausting head coach search, most fans had fully wrapped their head around an intriguing unknown, like Grant Udinski or Nate Scheelhaase.
When Browns brass clearly lacked the conviction to make such a hire, the narrative shifted to: Well, at least we still have Jim Schwartz.
No one was even looking at Door No. 3 — so of course the Browns kicked that door open and picked Todd Monken as the 23rd head coach in franchise history.
The Browns (finally) have their guy, even if it’s not the most inspiring hire of all time. With his 60th birthday looming in February, Monken is set to become one of the oldest first-time head coaches in NFL history; his only other head coaching experience came over a decade ago, running the Southern Mississippi program.
Fittingly, the most mysterious of the league’s 10 head coach searches ended with a decision no one saw coming. Monken was originally thought to be headed to the New York Giants with John Harbaugh. Then, after interviewing a second time for the Browns’ HC job, he wasn’t originally listed among the team’s expected finalists.
In the end, no reporter had a firm grasp on what was transpiring in Berea — and the final result has owner Jimmy Haslam’s fingerprints all over it.
Jimmy Haslam just pulled a classic Browns move with this head coach hire
Haslam’s decision to retain general manager Andrew Berry was met with eye-rolls earlier this month. And while Haslam appointed Berry in charge of the Browns’ head coach search, it couldn’t be clearer who made the final call.
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Monken made a strong impression on Cleveland’s owner during his one season as the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2019.
Todd Monken was on Freddie Kitchens staff in 2019, and made an impression with Browns ownership then—which put him in the running this year. This swings the door open on the Giants OC job, as well. https://t.co/VH0XXxOxHo
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 28, 2026
Berry was just 32 years old when he was named Cleveland's GM ahead of the 2020 season. His presence made young, potential first-time head coach candidates like Scheelhaase, 35, and Udinski, 30, pick up steam as presumptive finalists.
But, again, nobody really had a clue which way the Browns were leaning, and when Udinski surprisingly pulled out of the race at the beginning of the week, the buzz around the more veteran candidates, like Schwartz and Monken, began to pick up.
This was definitely a Haslam decision. He already has Schwartz under contract through 2026 as his defensive coordinator, per ESPN. Hiring Monken brings an experienced, offensive mastermind and elite play caller into the building, while leaving one of the league’s most dominant defenses unbothered.
Will Schwartz agree to stay on under Monken after being passed up for the job? That remains to be seen, but the Browns have the power to block him from making a lateral move, so more potential drama could be coming on that front.
Haslam may not be qualified to pick a head coach, but it’s something he has a lot of experience doing since he bought the team during the 2012 regular season. Browns fans feeling underwhelmed by this hire are definitely justified, but make no mistake — it all starts at the top in Cleveland.