JANUARY 27: Shortly after Stefanski’s firing, Schwartz is believed to have spoken with some Browns defenders in an effort to land the HC job. The veteran DC told multiple players to “talk him up” as a head coaching candidate, Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero notes. Schwartz completed his second interview for the job more than a week ago.
Schwartz, who has not been a head coach since the 2013 season, has received ownership backing to at least remain DC. This component may or may not be impacting some of the candidates’ exits from this search. But it remains clear Schwartz is a key presence in the Cleveland HC derby three-plus weeks after Stefanski’s ouster.
JANUARY 26: By completing an in-person interview with Nate Scheelhaase on Monday, the Browns have satisfied their Rooney Rule requirements and are now free to hire their next head coach.
Their decision, however, is not expected to come until at least Tuesday, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. And despite Scheelhaase’s star seemingly rising in recent days, incumbent defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is “gaining momentum” to get the job, according to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.
Several coaches have withdrawn from consideration for the Browns’ head coaching job in the last week, including Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski on Monday morning. That effectively narrowed the list down to three finalists who have all interviewed with the team twice: Scheelhaase, Schwartz, and outgoing Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
If the Browns want to follow other teams’ recent trend of hiring young Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay assistants as head coaches, Scheelhaase is their man. He may, however, be wary of a job that multiple respected coaches passed on. Udinski joined Mike McDaniel and Jesse Minter in bowing out of this HC search.
Between a meddlesome owner, a roster lacking many pieces on the offensive side of the ball, and what seems to be a cumbersome hiring process (as described by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on the Rich Eisen Show), Scheelhaase may follow other young coaches’ recent trend of waiting to land a preferred head coaching job, rather than the first one they are offered. He may even have a chance at a better opportunity this year after interviewing with the Bills on Monday as well.
Cold feet from Scheelhaase could be one reason that Schwartz’s name is making a late surge. But the longtime defensive coach was an obvious candidate for a promotion from the moment Kevin Stefanski was fired. Schwartz’s defenses have been the team’s stronger side of the ball for all three of his seasons as the team’s DC.
The Browns made no secret of their desire to keep him in Cleveland, and bumping him into the top job is the only way to guarantee that. The team would prefer to retain Schwartz as their defensive coordinator if they go in another direction for their head coach, but he could bristle at being passed over for a relatively inexperienced candidate. Scheelhaase has just two years of NFL experience with only one year as a coordinator at the college level; Schwartz has been coaching football as long as the young Rams coach has been alive.
No disrespect but this isn’t it. Obvious no real candidate wants that job. He has one and done written all over him. Jets, Raiders and Browns, where QB’s and coaches go to die
You may be thinking the last few years with the Raiders. Don’t forget Carr was a mainstay for about a decade with the Raiders. Then left and signed a big deal with the Saints. Carr has only been gone 3 years. The Browns and Jets are far different. Can’t tell you the last time they had a starting QB that long.
Raiders did have stability with Carr but ever since they let Bisaccia go they have become as dysfunctional as the browns and jets
The raiders effectively replaced the lions as the big 3 bad teams
Can’t disagree there. But as bad as my Raiders have been, the rest of the league has had over 20-30 years to catch up and the Raiders are still in the top 10 in regards to SBs. …And regardless of who wins this year they’ll still be in the top 10.
That’s because nobody else wants it. Cleveland is a dumper fire.
The Browns are 1 of 3 main dumpster fire franchises in the league with another 3 that are on the brink, the league has turned into kind of a joke esp now that sanders was named a pro bowler
Browns HC is a highly sought after job now that they have a pro bowl QB
As a Browns’ fan, I can really appreciate your sarcasm. Laughed out loud, literallu.
This makes me feel a little better after my team hired McCarthy. The Browns keep doing Browns things.
I honestly thought the Titans would hire McCarthy, and then fire him after year three, after a nine win season, because that sounds like very Titans thing to do.
I thought the same, honestly.
On another note, I don’t know why Pittsburgh fans hate McCarthy so much. Everyone seems to forget that that he’s a winning coach. People here use the word “stale” and then are surprised when their team hires Antonio Pierce and fires him after year one.
I can guarantee McCarthy won’t be there 15+ years. Hopefully, they get him a QB to develop. Even if Rodgers comes back, he’s there for a year.
the very definition of retread .. exactly what you’d expect from the browns
Not counting Gregg Williams, who was an interim coach, the only retreads the Browns have hired since they returned were Eric Mangini and Hue Jackson. Obviously, neither of those worked out too well. However, I’d say they tend to favor young coordinators over experienced coaches.
Schwartz is an unexciting hire, but the defensive players love him. And, ultimately, I think it depends on the staff he’s able to put together. He still needs a bright offensive guy to make something out of nothing.
I remember his time as a head coach in Detroit very well. I’m looking forward to him having the same level of success in Cleveland
Jackson wasn’t really a retread in the traditional sense. I think he was interim HC at Oakland. He only had a year at Oakland, I believe. When he was hired, I was excited, but boy, was I wrong! On the other hand, the front office did not help him very much as they orchestrated a horrific teardown
As a Browns fan I will be pissed if they name Schwartz as the new HC, especially with better offensive candidates still in contention….there’s a reason he was never offered a HC job…
He coached the Lions and went to a playoff game with Stafford. He damn near raised the Titanic!
He finished with a 29 – 51 record in 5 years as their HC with one playoff appearance….If the Browns want to carry on with below average wins they should have kept Stefanski….
Of course Jackson didnt work out. Haslem rewarded him for failure!
I don’t think momentum is the right word for the Browns giving Schwartz the head coach job.
Mary Kay just wants Schwartz as the HC…if Scheelhaase isn’t the guy, it will be Todd Monken or Anthony Lynn, as both have agreed to keep Schwartz as the DC…
Lol
This is almost comical. Promote him to HC so you don’t lose him as your DC? Was there any succession plan once they fired Stefanski, who’s already re-hired?
Yes there’s a plan for hiring a HC . They make it sound like guys backed out because it was the Browns, but Udinski had a great offer to stay in Jacksonville, McDaniel is a flake and also backed out of Buffalo to head to the Chargers as their OC and Minter got to go back to Baltimore where he began his career…I expect Lynn or Monken to be the new HC if it’s not Scheelhaase…
The Browns were certainly at least a factor in those coaches’ decisions. Udinski is still interviewing for HC at Buffalo…a much more desirable landing spot.
I’m glad Mc Daniel backed out.
McDaniel is a flake who also backed out of Buffalo….
I’m betting they’re gonna hire Todd Monken, and tell Schwartz if anything ever happens with Monken moving on, Schwartz becomes the interim coach. So, with Cleveland’s track record, h
Sorry, my phone glitched out as I was finishing typing. So, with Cleveland’s track record, he’ll be a head coach in three years, and he still gets to work with his guys. They also give him a three year extension & make him the highest paid defensive coordinator.
Schwartz should get the job. He’s a good coach and didn’t bomb out in Detroit. I think he will do a fine job if given the opportunity.
Didn’t bomb out? So you call 29 – 51 record good ? He is a DC NOT a HC. .
Funny that a person has to go to the comments section for any mention of Schwartz being a head coach previously and what his W-L record is. You’d think this would be an obvious item to include in the article, especially since so many get multiple shots at head coaching positions.
My brain can’t hold every NFL detail, especially failed head coaches and their abysmal records. I need to save mental space for legendary players like that Pro Bowler Sanders…
He inherited the first winless team in NFL history. He took that team to the playoffs in his 2nd, maybe 3rd year. Yes, Lions regressed after that.
FWIW: in Belichick’s first HC coaching job, he was also below .500 and made 1 playoff appearance.
Belichick found a QB that saved his career though…
He made them respectable after those comical Matt Millen years.
Jim Schwartz is NOT gaining momentum and will NOT be the new HC…calm down Mary Kay. Anthony Lynn or Todd Monken , though not great choices, are ahead of Schwartz if Scheelhaase isn’t offered the job. Schwartz was a horrible HC his last go around and unless the Browns want MORE problems…he’s not going to be the next HC….
Monkey, Lynn and Schwartz will keep the Browns tradition of being a place for losing in place. Thanks for the info
I think the Browns are a great spot for a guy like Schwartz who can go ballistic without much provocation…lol.
Don’t do it Jim.
The word around the league is that the Browns’ HC opening is the least appealing. Some think it has to do with all the analytics that the Cleveland front office are into.
On a side note, Shedeur Sanders replaces Drake Maye on the AFC side for the Pro Bowl Games next Tuesday on ABC. Yes, Shedeur Sanders, who had 7 TD passes/10 INTs over his 8 games as a Browns rookie.
Not that it matters, I’ve heard Arizona is even less desirable. At least Vegas has the #1 pick next year.
Lets hope he doesnt boycott the game because he wasnt voted All-Pro …
IF Schwartz is the hire, it makes sense. Garrett is appeased and they can give Jim two years while the Watson fiasco is still a major block towards becoming competitive again. Again, IF Schwartz is the hire, you just need to find that young guy to be OC that can do some magic with young players. Sanders has some potential and they probably will go heavy on offense in the draft. There will be tools to work with.
When the Watson burden is off the books, they might be ready for a leap…
If not, there’s always next year Browns fan.
Woof.
I think the Browns have plenty of positives (a couple of outstanding young playmakers on offense, Myles Garrett, dominant D, many picks in top 100 in the next draft, rabid fan base who love the team through thick and thin) but are offset by:
terrible QB situation. Sanders MIGHT be serviceable. He did show a lot of improvement as the season went on.
aging, oft-injured offensive line with little to no backfill ready
a GM who probably is on thin ice so might be a front office shake up in 2027
idiot owner
The GM being on thin ice is the biggest red flag to me, and for the life of me I can’t figure out why Berry wasn’t shown the door with Stefanski. One good draft (where they still wasted 2 picks on hopeless QBs) after years of horrendous ones shouldn’t have saved his job.
Schwartz makes a lot of sense for many reasons.
The defense is elite.
The defensive stars love him and presumably would be even more motivated to play for him.
He knows the warts of the organization and probably already has ideas how to run things differently.
He did turn around the Lions 15 years or so ago, but then they regressed a bit after a couple of years.
He has connections all over the NFL so he could get a DC to fill his spot fairly easily.
Ideally, if the Browns promote Schwartz, he can entice a young innovative, offensive assistant to come here as the OC. Scheelhaase would be great but I doubt they’d land him.
Of course, the downsides are there: he’s a “retread” (to that I say you know what you’ve got and it’s less risky than hiring someone who has never even called plays n the NFL).
He might perpetuate the “losing culture” (to that I say: look at the D he’s developed. There is no losing culture there).
He’s not in the prototype these days of hiring young offensive-minded guys (to that I say: look at the defensive minded coaches in the Super Bowl).
Anyway, we’ll see. As always, it’s the Browns, so be prepared for more chaos and mayhem.
May the Schwartz be with you.
No one else wants the job
Feels a lot like Haslam wants to make the defensive players happy by promoting Schwartz, even if Berry and the rest of the front office wants to go in a different direction. They probably would be better off bringing in an outsider who can work under Berry and reset the entire operation. These hybrid rehash/restructuring attempts rarely work.
Oh for heaven sakes people! Jim Schwartz is NOT going to be the HC ..it will be one of the 3 remaining candidates…
I’m in the minority, but I’ve always thought he deserved another shot. But if he wants to hire somebody like Lombardi who just got fired as his OC again, then you can go get somebody else. I thought Udinski with him retained as DC was their best outcome, but I wouldn’t hate Schwartz getting another crack at it as long as he hires a quality OC. Ironically, that was their biggest problem Stefanski’s entire time as HC.
If youre out there ChuckyNJ … you can cry with joy … Belichick wasnt elected … yet
At this point, just hire Deion. Then you can get rid of both Sanderses by 2028.
The Browns have entered their David Culley-Lovie Smith era.
Lovie Smith was a better coach than anyone the Browns have had since their 1999 expansion year.