Ever since the Browns shocked their fans and pundits alike by going with Todd Monken as the franchise's next head coach, the immediate response has seemingly been negative at every turn. From fans to pundits to even Browns players, very few seem to be on board with hiring the soon-to-be 60-year-old coach for his first NFL head coaching gig.
While it's understandably easy to be a prisoner of the moment, some context goes a long way into shaping perspective. The 2024 Baltimore Ravens won the AFC North with a 12–5 record, narrowly losing in the divisional round to the Buffalo Bills in heartbreaking fashion. For his work coordinating the Ravens' offensive attack, Todd Monken received interviews for head coaching roles with the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Las Vegas Raiders.
Each of those teams went in different directions, but the feeling about Monken in league circles was clear. Just because the Ravens slumped to an 8–9 record in 2025 — a season in which their two-time MVP signal-caller, Lamar Jackson, missed four games altogether and significant time in two other contests — doesn't mean Monken forgot how to coach. NFL teams are some of the most recency-biased organizations in the world, especially when it comes to head coaching hires.
Take some of this cycle's hottest candidates, for example. Klint Kubiak — the reported next head coach for the Raiders — was technically let go along with the rest of Dennis Allen's staff following the 2024 season in New Orleans. Mike LaFleur, the Arizona Cardinals' new head coach, was fired by the New York Jets following two disastrous seasons from 2022–2023; he spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator for Sean McVay's Rams (a role where he didn't call plays) and has now landed a head-coaching job.
The coaching carousel moves at breakneck pace, and one year's jewel becomes the following year's lump of coal. Just ask Bobby Slowik. All of this is to say, let's see things play out before we give the Browns a resounding 'F' on their coaching hire.
Besides, while it may be hard to find, not everyone is doubting Monken's chops to turn things around in Cleveland.
Georgia Bulldogs' Kirby Smart gives Todd Monken his flowers
Just before taking over the reins of the Ravens' offense, Monken spent three years in the same role for the Georgia Bulldogs. Through his three seasons, the Bulldogs went 37–3 and won a pair of CFP National Championships. Pretty, pretty impressive. Their offensive ranks in those seasons: 38th (out of 128), 9th (out of 130), and fifth (out of 131).
With those accolades in mind, it makes perfect sense that Georgia's head coach, Kirby Smart, had glowing praise for the Browns' outside-the-box hiring.
"Todd brought an exceptional level of professionalism and creativity to our program. His ability to develop quarterbacks and craft game plans tailored to our players’ strengths was instrumental to our success. What we accomplished wouldn’t have been possible without his impact. We’re incredibly excited for Todd and Terri."
While it's clear to see why a coach would give one of his former assistants praise later in his career, consider how easy it would be to say nothing at all. Kirby Smart has skin in the game. One of the best coaches in all of college football entrusted his offense to Todd Monken, and experienced resounding success as a result. That means something.
Suffice to say, if Todd Monken accomplishes even a fraction of what he did at the University of Georgia for the Browns, a statue outside of Huntington Bank Field is not out of the question.