AFC North Coaching Updates: Browns, Koetter, Ravens
New Browns head coach Todd Monken continues to build his first NFL staff, and he continues to do so by rounding up his former coworkers. Today, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that UMass offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian would be reuniting with Monken to serve as Cleveland’s new quarterbacks coach.
Bajakian worked with Monken during their tenures with the Buccaneers. Since then, Bajakian has roamed the collegiate coaching circuit working as OC/QB coach at different points with Boston College, Northwestern, Utah (interim), and the Minutemen. That litany of experience working with young, college athletes should prepare him well for the challenge he faces in developing a Browns quarterbacks room that features two rising sophomores (and, potentially, a new rookie this year).
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, former Jets tight ends coach Jeff Blasko is expected to be making his way to Cleveland to accept the same job under Monken. He will be reuniting with both the team and the new head coach after working as the Browns assistant offensive line coach in 2019, when Monken was the team’s offensive coordinator. Additionally, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Monken is bringing over yet another Baltimore migrant, adding former Ravens offensive assistant Ian Kolste to his staff in Cleveland in an as of yet unknown role. Kolste was considered to be a rising, young mind in the Ravens building.
Lastly, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Browns are interviewing former Ravens assistant quarterbacks coach/director of football strategy Daniel Stern for the role of associate head coach. All three hires and Stern fit the criteria of having worked with Monken in the past.
Here are a couple other coaching updates from around the AFC North:
- Pelissero also brought a report out of Cincinnati that Davis Koetter, the son of former Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter, has been hired as the Bengals‘ new assistant wide receivers coach. The younger Koetter was an analyst at South Carolina last year and had worked for two years at Texas before that.
- Finally, in Baltimore, new head coach Jesse Minter is filling out an expected vacancy in his staff. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Ravens expect Stern to be leaving for the job he’s set to interview for in Cleveland, and the team is hiring former Colts game manager Charlie Gelman to fill his place. Gelman is expected to be coming in as Baltimore’s new game management coordinator/defensive assistant.
Coaching Notes: Raiders, Castillo, Colts
The Raiders have made four new additions to their coaching staff for the offseason, naming their Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellows. On offense, Las Vegas will be mentoring Torrey Gill. On defense, Jamie Sharper and Troy Vincent Jr. will be joining the staff. Lastly, Matt Willis was hired with a focus on special teams.
Gill is currently an offensive graduate assistant at Oregon State. He’s previously coached wide receivers at New Mexico State and Whittier College after playing the position at Itawamba Community College and NAIA Tabor College.
Sharper is former Super Bowl champion linebacker for the Ravens who spent time with the Texans and Seahawks, as well. He just finished the 2022 XFL season where he worked as the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach for the DC Defenders. He previously worked as a scouting intern for Houston before serving as linebackers and defensive line coach for Georgetown.
Vincent is the son of NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations, Troy Vincent. His career has thus far consisted mainly of roles in Georgia high school football.
Willis is a former NFL wide receiver who spent time with the Ravens, Broncos, and Lions. He’s had two other stints with the fellowship, working with the Bears in 2017 and 2018.
Here are a few other rumors from around the NFL:
- The Commanders have made some minor adjustments to their offensive staff, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. Juan Castillo, who was hired to coach tight ends despite his wealth of experience with the offensive line, has been working more with the offensive line at camp recently. They expect that he will be “toggling between the two positions” under the new title of run-game coordinator. The current assistant offensive line coach, Travelle Wharton, is expected to be promoted to offensive line coach, while Todd Storm will remove the “assistant” from his title to become tight ends coach.
- Colts head coach Shane Steichen has added a new assistant to his staff, according to Mike Chappell of FOX59/CBS4 Sports. The staff now rosters Charlie Gelman, who will serve as game manager.