What's said can ruin a football team as quickly as what's not said.
That's why being a head coach is about much more than just game-planning and Xs and Os. It's also about managing people, egos, and making sure everybody involved in the operation is pushing toward the same goal.
Todd Monken had to wait until he turned 59 years old to get a chance to do so for the first time. Fortunately for him, he had some great mentors along the way, from Kirby Smart in Georgia to John Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens.
Considering that, the former Ravens offensive coordinator tipped his hat to his former boss. Talking about his coaching journey during his introductory press conference, the new Cleveland Browns head coach thanked Harbaugh for teaching him how to communicate with the team.
"And I owe a lot to Coach Harbaugh," Monken admitted. "He hired me out of Georgia, took a shot on a college coordinator trying to elevate Lamar (Jackson) and the offense, and I learned a ton. He is elite at messaging with a team, especially with an NFL team, and how you deal with players and how you confront anything that gets in the way of winning without being confrontational. To me, that’s an art."
Todd Monken might fix the one Browns problem Kevin Stefanski never could
The more people hear Monken talk, the more sold they are on him. It clearly matters to him; it's personal. More than that, there will be no secrets or second-guessing with him; he's going to tell everybody how he feels and — more importantly — what to do about it.
For years, players and insiders talked about this team's accountability — or lack thereof. There were also rumblings about Kevin Stefanski's relationships with some players. He may not have been the greatest communicator, and a lack of clarity about expectations and responsibilities can lead to misunderstandings.
Browns fans didn't sound too excited when the team hired Monken to be the 19th head coach in franchise history. He wasn't the flashy hire, especially with two young candidates who also had an offensive background.
Then again, even if he's on the older side and doesn't have prior NFL head-coaching experience, he's been a coach for nearly four decades. He's already surrounded himself with many of his previous assistants, and after watching how he's elevated every offense he's been a part of, there's no reason to believe he won't be able to work his magic in Cleveland as well.