Camryn Justice is a reporter at News 5 Cleveland.
The Cleveland Browns began their search for a new head coach just hours after dismissing Kevin Stefanski from the role with the team, and as they begin interviewing candidates, the team has requested an interview with a familiar face, considering former offensive coordinator Todd Monken for the opening, league sources told News 5.
Monken, 59, was the Browns' offensive coordinator in 2019 under then-head coach Freddie Kitchens. He is currently the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, with whom the Browns have put in their interview request. Over his 36-year coaching career, Monken has worked around the NFL and collegiate teams. From his start at Grand Valley State to the NFL, Monken has held roles as a position coach on both offense and defense, offensive coordinator roles and one head coaching stint at Southern Miss from 2013 to 2015. Monken left the Browns after Kitchens' sole year as head coach, becoming Georgia's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He rejoined the NFL in 2023 with the Ravens and in his first season went 13-4 as the AFC's top seed in that year's playoffs. Last January, Monken signed a contract extension with the Ravens following his work to lead Baltimore's offense to a No. 1 rank and quarterback Lamar Jackson to his best statistical season. The request to interview Monken is the first option to arise for the team as they look to fill Stefanski's role. Owner Jimmy Haslam spoke on Monday, a short time after firing Stefanski and outlined their approach to finding a new head coach, a process he said would begin that afternoon. RELATED: Browns fire head coach Kevin Stefanski after 6 seasons in Cleveland'The next 120 days are crucial for the organization. We've got to find the right head coach. We've got to be efficient again in free agency. We have 10 draft picks, including two number ones. We have four picks in the top three rounds. And we've got to get really good players who are really good people again. We've got to be opportunistic if trade opportunities come along. We are solely focused on having a great 120 days so we can start winning games around here,' Haslam said. Cleveland's head coaching search is being led by general manager Andrew Berry, who said the most important factor to consider in a candidate is leadership. 'When you hire a head coach, it's someone who has to be able to lead your players, lead your staff, lead the organization, lead through hardship and lead through crisis. NFL years, they're like dog years. They're really difficult seasons. That'll be at the forefront because it's first and foremost a leadership position. Then when I say partnership, head coach/GM relationship is a lot like a marriage. You have to work side by side and fight back-to-back. And I think that that's really, really important because you have to be aligned in terms of how you're positioning the team,' Berry said. The Browns are also expected to consider internal candidates, including defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
Northeast Ohio News Browns Cleveland Browns Head Coach Interview Offensive Coordinator Ravens Request Todd Monken
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