When the Cleveland Browns hired Todd Monken as their new head coach, it was a bit of a surprise, and part of that reaction had to do with the fact that Monken is 60 years old and entering his first head coaching job in the NFL. Monken replaced the much younger Kevin Stefanski, and the Browns seem to be taking to the change well.
Recently, in an interview on the Pat McAfee Show, Browns beat writer Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN discussed the impact the older coach was already having on his team, which is expected to be one of the youngest in the NFL.
"So he’s a disciplinarian," Oyefusi said. "You hear him at practice. He lost his voice one time in minicamp, because he was yelling so much. But then he has a new way of thinking about the game as an offensive-minded head coach, the way that he interacts — he’s 60 years old, but he can interact with these young 21-, 22-, 23-year-olds that are fresh out of college. So they love that mixture, and I think that the players are definitely gravitating to the way he coaches them, and how hard he is on them."
When you watch Monken coach his players during training camp, you see a coach who is constantly talking to his players about the play they are working on or how to do something better in an individual drill. These coaching moments really matter to Monken, and hopefully that pays off for his team. Last year's team won five games after the Browns won just three in 2024.
In many of these coaching moments, you also see Monken talking to his players about winning and that being the ultimate goal. Right now, there are so many things that need to be improved on the team for that goal to become realistic.
The Browns' youngest players are embracing Monken's demanding coaching style
There's still a quarterback competition occurring primarily between second-year player Shedeur Sanders and veteran Deshaun Watson. There are questions about the offensive line and how that's going to look, as most of the linemen will be new to the team. The recently drafted Spencer Fano will likely start as the left tackle.
The defensive unit has the most experience and talent, so Monken will rely on that unit to help keep his team in games. Cornerback Denzel Ward and safety Grant Delpit both recently signed extensions, so that helps solidify the best part of the team — the secondary.
There are a lot of moving parts right now, but having Monken in the lead role, using his experience to teach and connect with his young players, is a big advantage to the Browns right now. There's something to be said for those who have the gift to share their wisdom and knowledge to those they teach, or in this case, coach.
The way so many young Browns players have gravitated toward Monken's old-school coaching style has been one of the biggest storylines of camp. How it will all pan out at this point is really up for debate.
For the Browns, let's hope that the mix of old-school and new-school coaching is a winning formula.
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