Nate Scheelhaase and Grant Udinski are generating buzz in the Browns head coach search; OC Tommy Rees could join Kevin Stefanski.
Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase throws the ball before an NFL preseason football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. CLEVELAND, Ohio — Young, rising offensive stars Nate Scheelhaase and Grant Udinski are generating plenty of buzz in the Browns head coach search, sources tell cleveland.
com. Scheelhaase, 35, is the Rams pass game coordinator, and Udinski, 30, is the Jaguars offensive coordinator. Neither has called plays in the NFL, but both are hot commodities who will undoubtedly be head coaches soon. In addition to working closely with Rams coach Sean McVay the past two seasons, Scheelhaase starred at Illinois for four seasons as a dual-threat quarterback, and would be great at developing either Shedeur Sanders or a rookie quarterback. Over his four seasons , he threw for 8,568 yards and 55 touchdowns and ran for 2,066 yards and 19 more scores, and is one of just two players in Big Ten history to total over 8,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards in his collegiate career. It’s a vibes thing: Why Browns fans are surprisingly cold on Mike McDaniel despite his head coaching success Browns’ coaching search puts spotlight on OC job: Will Tommy Rees stay or is Todd Monken the next play-caller? Can Jaguars OC Grant Udinski convince the Browns in his HC interview today to make him the youngest NFL coach ever hired? He was also the only quarterback in Illini history to win back-to-back bowl games and finished as the program’s all-time leader in total offense with 10,634 yards, which ranks seventh in Big Ten history. As a senior, he produced one of the best offensive seasons in program history, leading the conference in passing yards and completion percentage . In 2025, Scheelhaase helped coach quarterback Matthew Stafford, 37, to an NFL MVP season, during which he led the league with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. He was also second with a 109. 2 rating. “He’s a great coach,” McVay said last offseason. “He has great leadership, great capacity for the game, similar to a lot of our other great coaches. First and foremost, he has great character. There’s an ability to be able to connect with all different types. There’s an ability to own the game from an all-22 perspective. He’s excellent. I’ve really enjoyed working with him. He’s a great person, first and foremost, and he has a great family. He’s been outstanding, working with the receivers, but he has a tremendous impact on our team and our group as a whole.” Like his boss, Scheelhaase is known for his offensive wizardry and innovative designs and has been described by some as “the next Sean McVay.” If the Browns don’t hire him as head coach, they could always try to land him as offensive coordinator, perhaps under Jim Schwartz if they promote him from defensive coordinator to the head job. But the Steelers, Raiders, and Ravens have all either interviewed Scheelhaase or have expressed interest, and he might get a head job this cycle, even if it seems a year or two early. Scheelhaase interviewed with the Browns virtually on Friday, and might land a second interview soon depending on what happens in the divisional round. The Rams face the Bears Sunday in Chicago at 6:30 p.m. Udinski, who turned 30 on Monday and would be the youngest coach hired in the NFL, interviewed with the Browns virtually on Saturday, and is another intriguing choice. Once again, it might be a little early in his career for a head coach gig, but he has the commanding presence, high football acumen and leadership ability to get the job done. He’s also worked under McVay disciples Kevin O’Connell, coach of the Vikings, and Liam Cohen, coach of the Jaguars, and is well-versed in the McVay Way. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who led the team to a 14-3 record, enjoyed one of the finest seasons of his career under Udinski. “I’ve never really met anyone like him,” Lawrence said recently. “The way he approaches the preparation process, the attention to detail, the game-planning in general, the things that he thinks about, the conversations we have throughout the whole week. It’s a very detailed process, and there are no stones that are left unturned in his approach with us in the QB room.” Again, both Scheelhaase and Udinski could land second interviews here perhaps depending on what happens early in the week with the second session for Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz on Monday and Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken on Tuesday.Rees, the Browns’ first interview for their head coach vacancy, might have a chance to join Stefanski as coordinator wherever he lands, league sources told cleveland. Stefanski is interviewing for a second time with the Falcons on Saturday, and might talk to the Titans and others a second time unless the Falcons refuse to let him out of the building without a contract. When Stefanski turned playcalling over to Rees in Week 10 vs. the Jets, Rees made clear his allegiance to his head coach. “I came to Cleveland to work for Kevin,” Rees said. “That’s really the reason I took this job two years ago. I think the world of him. Really fortunate for the support he’s given me over the last week, the support he’s had for me over the last couple of years. I wanted to come to Cleveland to work for Kevin. “Whatever they want me to do, whatever’s asked of me to help us win games, that’s what I want to do at the highest level. Working collaboratively with Kevin, I really appreciate that part of it.” With Rees not expected to interview a second time for Stefanski’s old job, a league source told Cleveland.com, there’s a decent chance he’ll either follow Stefanski or take a different opportunity. He’s expected to draw interest from other teams as coordinator, including possibly the Chargers and Lions. John Harbaugh, who finalized his deal with the Giants on Saturday, also likes Rees a lot. Other current Browns assistants are expected to join Stefanski, depending on the new head coach here and who he wants to retain.If Monken doesn’t get the Browns job, he’s expected to join John Harbaugh as offensive coordinator with the Giants, where they’ll coach second-year year quarterback Jaxson Dart, the 25th overall pick out of Ole Miss. As of now, the Browns haven’t yet scheduled a second interview with former Dolphins coach Mike McDonald, who’s interviewing for the Raiders head coach vacancy on Monday. But they do plan to interview some of the young candidates a second time depending on what happens early in the week, especially considering those interviews were done virtually. Starting Monday, the Browns can interview NFL coaches in person, but must still follow the strict rules for the Championship Games and Super Bowl. The Browns must also satisfy the Rooney Rule by interviewing two minorities in person before they make a head coach hire.The Browns were one of five teams that Harbaugh talked to on the phone for 45 minutes before deciding on which formal interviews he wanted to do. The Giants were his first choice, but he planned to interview with the Titans after he spent the day with the Giants. It never got to that point as things heated up with the Giants. The Browns, one of the original seven teams to reach out about Harbaugh in the first 45 minutes after he was fired, had one more conversation with Harbaugh’s camp after the 45-minute preliminary discussion, but he was already far down the road with the Giants by that time. Harbaugh, who grew up a Browns fan and who’s mother is from Cleveland, had a good conversation with the Browns and was intrigued by the opportunity, but he always hoped to end up in New York and never formally interviewed with anyone else.Mary Kay Cabot has more than 30 years experience covering the Cleveland Browns for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com, and became only the second female in Pro Football Hall of Fame history to win the Bill Nunn...
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