Todd Monken has Cory Undlin on his radar for defensive coordinator.
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, right, speaks with defensive coordinator Cory Undlin during NFL football training camp, Saturday, July 27, 2024, Houston. Todd Monken has requested an interview with the Texans defensive passing game coordinator for his coordinator vacancy, a league source tells Cleveland.
com. Undlin, 54, spent four seasons with the Browns under Romeo Crennel from 2005-08 as defensive quality control coach , secondary/assistant special teams coach and defensive backs coach . He’s got other big highlights on his resume, including the fact that he won a Super Bowl with the Eagles under Jim Schwartz after the 2017 season, and runs essentially the same system. A square peg in a round hole: Why Deshaun Watson failed under Kevin Stefanski but could thrive with Todd MonkenUndlin also worked with Todd Monken for a season in Jacksonville when he was defensive backs coach while Monken tutored receivers.Monken also interviewed Falcons defensive pass game coordinator Mike Rutenberg on Wednesday, a source tells cleveland.com. He kicked off his slate of external candidate interviews this week with the Rams’ Aubrey Pleasant, a coaching intern with the Browns in 2013, and has likely already met with some of the other candidates virtually. Monken’s first two interviews were with internal candidates in linebackers coach Jason Tarver and safeties coach Ephraim Banda. As previously reported, he’s also requested interviews with Panthers defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley, who played and coached at John Carroll University, and Giants outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen. Cooley and Bullen are likely among the candidates who have interviewed virtually this week, or will soon. Undlin has spent the past three seasons as Texans’ pass game coordinator, including his first season in 2023 season when he was instrumental in Houston blowing out the Browns, 45-14, in the wild card round. Two of Undlin’s defenders got pick-sixes off Joe Flacco in the third quarter to break the game open. In 2025, Undlin help guide the Texans to No. 1 overall in total yards allowed with 277.2, including No. 6 against the pass with 183.5 and No. 4 in run defense with 93.7. They were also No. 2 in scoring defense with 17.4 points allowed. They were tied for seventh with 47.0 sacks and tied for third in the NFL with 19 interceptions. The Browns were tied for 16th with 11. Two Texans defenders recorded double digits last season in Danielle Hunter, who finished third with 15.0 sacks and Will Anderson Jr., tied for eighth with 12.0. Undlin joined the Texans under head coach DeMeco Ryans after working under him in San Francisco in 2021-22 when Ryans was defensive coordinator and Undlin was passing game specialist and secondary coach. During the 2022 season, Undlin guided the 49ers secondary to a league-high 20 interceptions, a league-low 71 big plays allowed and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game. Under Undlin’s mentorship, nine-year veteran safety Jimmie Ward finished the season with the sixth-highest overall defensive grade and second-highest run defensive grade among all NFL safeties, according to Pro Football Focus. In addition, Undlin helped with the development of second-year safety Talanoa Hufanga, who finished the regular season with 95 tackles , 2.0 sacks, four interceptions, nine passes defensed, two fumble recoveries and earned AP first-team All-Pro, PFWA All-NFL Team, PFWA All-NFC Team and his first Pro Bowl nod. As the defensive coordinator for the Lions in 202, Undlin worked with DL Romeo Okwara, who became one-of-four players in the NFL to have at least 10.0 sacks, 10 tackles for loss , three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery on the season. He’s one of two known Browns candidates for the job with coordinator experience, including Tarver, who led the Raiders from 2012-2014. Rutenberg, the Falcons defensive pass game coordinator, began his NFL career as a player personnel intern in Washington in 2003, and then became administrative assistant to the head coach. He served as a defensive assistant with the Jaguars from 2013-2019, and then moved on as pass-game specialist for the 49ers in 2020 before working as Jets linebackers from 2021-24. This marks the last of Monken’s coordinators to be hired. He added former Ravens run game coordinator Travis Switzer as offensive coordinator, and former Packers assistant special teams coordinator to head up the kicking teams. After a round of virtual interviews with the external candidates, Monken will likely invite some of the candidates to Cleveland for in-person meetings. With most of the defensive assistants expected to stay, Monken’s staff will be mostly complete when he names his replacement for Jim Schwartz.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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