Browns’ Finalized 2026 Coaching Staff Updates
Earlier this month, the Browns announced their finalized coaching staff under new head coach Todd Monken. Many of the bigger coaching hirings and changes were covered in earlier posts as they occurred, but here is the new information gleaned from the team’s March announcement. 
The biggest piece of new information was that defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire has been retained in his role for his third year with the Browns and his seventh in the NFL. It comes with little surprise as he joins a crew of familiar faces also retained on the defensive side of the ball and returns to coach over two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. The only other new information regarding a position coach concerns new tight ends coach Jeff Blasko. We were aware that Blasko had been hired to the role, but the announcement revealed that he will also hold the title of run game coordinator.
Three assistant position coaches were announced as new information. John Wozniak was hired to serve as the Browns’ new assistant wide receivers coach. Coming into his first NFL coaching gig, Wozniak brings 25 years of experience at the collegiate level including position coaching roles at UAB, Southern Miss, and Oklahoma State. On defense, Ralph Street was announced as the new assistant defensive line coach. He’ll arrive in Cleveland after five years as defensive line coach and run game coordinator at Marshall, where Ravens outside linebacker Mike Green led the NCAA with 17.0 sacks in 2024.
Additionally, Keith Tandy was hired as assistant special teams coach. The former NFL safety joins the Browns after serving in the same role for the past six seasons in Tampa Bay. There was also an update that changes the reported role of a presumed position coach. Originally, it was believed that defensive quality control coach Jeff Anderson had been promoted to nickelbacks coach. The team’s announcement clarifies that, while he has been promoted, his new title is defensive assistant/nickelbacks.
Joining Anderson is Zach Dunn, who was announced as defensive assistant/assistant linebackers coach. Dunn has been with Cleveland as a defensive assistant since 2020, and after working with Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger last year, the assistant linebackers coach duties have been added to his plate. On the offensive side of the ball, it was initially reported that assistant offensive line coach Sanders Davis had been retained in his role. The new announcement informs that his title has been adjusted to offensive assistant/offensive line.
The last pieces of new information come in the smaller roles on the coaching staff. On offense, we knew that Ian Kolste was joining Monken in the move from Baltimore to Cleveland, but we didn’t yet know his title. We now know that Kolste will be an offensive quality control coach. Additionally, Dom Borsani has been named an offensive analyst. Borsani has spent three years with the Browns, previously serving as a research and coaching analyst. He’s joined in his new role by Travis Monken. Son of the new boss, the junior Monken has two years of experience as an offensive quality control coach at Purdue.
Likewise, on defense, former NFL linebacker Paul Worrilow has been named a defensive quality control coach. Following his eight-year career playing for the Falcons, Lions, Eagles, Ravens, and Jets, Worrilow has spent the past four years as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Delaware. Lastly, Shaq Wilson has been named a defensive analyst. After 10 years in minor roles at the college level, Wilson joined the Jets in 2023, working as a defensive assistant with the defensive line in his first year and with linebackers for the past two seasons.
These names put the final touches on the Monken’s first NFL staff in Cleveland. The staff will have its work cut out for it to climb out of the AFC North basement once again, but the group should get some time to figure things out as the team gets out from under some handicapping cap hits and uncertainty in the quarterbacks room.
Newest Updates To Browns’ Defensive Coaching Staff
Though former Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz departed from Cleveland when he was not promoted to the head coaching role, the team’s defensive coaching staff will retain several familiar faces. The Browns will also add a storied name to their staff as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Dom Capers has been hired in Cleveland as a senior defensive assistant. 
Joining the defensive staff of a rookie defensive coordinator, Capers offers a wealth of coordinator experience. He first served as an NFL defensive coordinator with the Steelers from 1992-94. After only three years, Capers landed a head coaching job with the Panthers. Following his tenure in Carolina, a similar pattern played out with Capers assuming a coordinator position in Jacksonville for two years before landing his second head coaching opportunity with the Texans. In the wake of his departure from Houston, Capers landed in Miami as defensive coordinator for a couple years before enjoying a nine-year tenure in that role with the Packers.
Capers last served as a defensive coordinator in 2017. In the years since, he has offered his services as a senior defensive assistant to several franchises. Starting in 2019, Capers worked one-year roles with the Jaguars, Vikings, Lions, and Broncos before spending the last three years with the Panthers. He’ll now continue his NFL tour, making the Browns the 12th NFL franchise to employ his services.
Following the hiring of former Falcons defensive pass game coordinator Mike Rutenberg as defensive coordinator, the Browns have surprisingly been able to hold onto several assistants who had been candidates for the coordinator job granted to Rutenberg with the help of a few promotions. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, one such assistant was safeties coach Ephraim Banda who has had the moniker of defensive passing game coordinator added to his title. In addition to Cleveland’s open job, Banda interviewed this offseason for coordinator opportunities in Dallas and New England, as well. With interest in Banda as a coordinator increasing in recent years, the Browns saw fit to reward him with a new title.
Another assistant who had been a candidate for the Browns’ coordinator job, linebackers coach Jason Tarver has similarly had the moniker of run game coordinator added to his title for 2026, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Unlike Banda, Tarver’s only path to a coordinator position this offseason was via promotion, though he was a rumored candidate in the Raiders’ fast-moving process.
Joining in on the fun, cornerbacks coach Brandon Lynch has also been given a promotion to remain in Cleveland. Per Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS, Lynch has been named defensive backs coach/pass game specialist for the 2026 season. Lynch interviewed for the defensive coordinator position in Tennessee two years ago and is widely seen as a future DC in the league. He’ll remain in Cleveland for now, though, working with Banda on the Browns’ secondary and defensive pass game.
With Lynch coming off cornerbacks, specifically, defensive quality control coach Jeff Anderson has also been granted a promotion to nickels coach, per Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network. Cleveland blocked Anderson from interviewing with the Titans for a similar job, as they intended to promote him themselves.
The last change to the defensive staff in Cleveland comes in the form of a departure. Adam Morris, who served as the Browns assistant defensive line coach in 2025, has departed to take on the edge coach/defensive run game coordinator position at Vanderbilt, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.
Browns Make Changes To Coaching Staff
The Browns coaching staff will look at bit different next season. Per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, the Browns have promoted Drew Petzing to quarterbacks coach.
Petzing has made a name for himself as Cleveland’s tight ends coach, leading to him getting an interview for the Raiders offensive coordinator gig. While he didn’t end up getting that major promotion, he will be taking on a larger role on the Browns’ offense.
“We feel like he has a unique perspective that he can contribute with those quarterbacks and help in their development,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said (via Ulrich). “He’s an important piece of our offensive staff, and we’re excited to get him and [offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt] working together.”
Stefanski didn’t have a QB coach on his staff through the first two years of his tenure in Cleveland, with Van Pelt basically holding those duties. The Browns filled their new TEs coach opening by promoting T.C. McCartney.
With McCartney getting a bump, the Browns have also promoted Jonathan Decoster to offensive assistant to offensive quality control coach. Decoster has had coaching stints at Old Dominion, West Virginia State, Nevada, and LSU. Per Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com, the Browns have also moved Ashton Grant to offensive quality control coach, moved Stephen Bravo-Brown from defensive quality control coach to assistant special teams coach, and added the title of “assistant wide receivers coach” to chief of staff Callie Brownson. The Browns also hired Jordan Thomas as assistant defensive line coach and Jeff Anderson as defensive quality control coach.