The Browns on Tuesday introduced their new head coach, Todd Monken, who appears to be a sharp contrast from former head coach Kevin Stefanski. The former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator was selected last week to replace Stefanski after six seasons in Cleveland.
Ideastream Public Media’s Terry Pluto says Monken emerged as the unanimous choice of GM Andrew Berry and owner Jimmy Haslam, bringing a reputation for building offenses, developing quarterbacks and assembling strong coaching staffs.
“The NFL is an interesting place," Pluto said. "They're always trying to find the young phenom coach."
When Cleveland hired Stefanski in 2020, he was a 37-year-old offensive coordinator with just nine games of play-calling experience. Pluto said he was brought in largely to “fix” then-quarterback Baker Mayfield and modernize the offense.
Cleveland’s offense has ranked at or near the bottom of the NFL the past two seasons.
“This time the doctor summoned is Todd Monken, kind of the opposite of Stefanski,” Pluto said.
Monken spent more than 20 years coaching at the college and NFL levels. He was the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens for three seasons (2021–2023) and previously led high-powered offenses at Southern Miss, LSU, and Oklahoma State. He also coached in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and spent a year in Cleveland in 2019 under head coach Freddie Kitchens.
Pluto says the negative reaction to Monken’s hire is unfounded.
“I was getting things emailed to me from fans and even I think some people in the media who just did no homework, like they hired Bozo the Clown,” Pluto said. “The man is an accomplished offensive coordinator.”
Pluto said Monken also has extensive experience developing quarterbacks at both the college and NFL levels.
“Lamar Jackson had his best years with Todd Monken (at Baltimore) and he's an athletic quarterback, runs around and throws it,” Pluto said. “When he was at Southern Miss, the head coach there, the last year there, they were in the top 10 in yardage and scoring in the country with a quarterback named Nick Mullens, who's played briefly in the NFL and (is) sort of the opposite of Lamar Jackson, just kind of stand in the pocket and throw it. He doesn't run all over the place.”
Pluto also addressed the Browns’ interview process, which was scrutinized for reportedly making candidates write essays, which Pluto says is false. Candidates were given four-to-six questions.
“I know one of the questions, for a fact, was how do you see the Browns' quarterback position?" Pluto said. "How do you view Shedeur Sanders?”
Pluto said there was a video the Browns released of Monken’s first day on the job, showing Sanders meeting the new coach.
“Monken looks at him and says, you know, we wanted to draft you, " Pluto said.
Pluto traced that moment back to the 2025 NFL Draft, when Sanders slipped from a potential top pick to the fifth round, likely influenced by concerns over his father, NFL Hall of Famer Deion, who had been Shedeur's only coach until reaching the NFL.
“(Deion Sanders) told the Baltimore Ravens, ‘I don't want you to draft my son because he'll be stuck behind Lamar Jackson forever,’” Pluto said. “Remember, at that point, Todd Monken was the offensive coordinator there.”
While Sanders is not guaranteed anything in Cleveland, Pluto believes Monken’s familiarity with him likely helped shape the Browns’ confidence in their new coach.
Staffing was another key factor. Pluto cited Monken’s skill at bringing in experienced assistants.
“Especially a guy named George Warhop, the offensive line coach,” Pluto said. “The Browns have been through two offensive line coaches the last two years. I was very excited to see Warhop as being one of the guys that Monken was able to bring in.”
Ultimately, Pluto said the Browns prioritized trust and experience as they committed significant resources to the hire.
“When you talk about a $50 million investment in the coach, and probably another over $50 to $100 million a year to put together a staff, who are you going to trust that to?” Pluto said. “And I think they felt Monken was a safe pick in that area.”
Monken on Tuesday declined to comment on whether defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who was passed over by the Browns for Monken, will return. Monken said he accepted the Browns job for the players, not Schwartz, joking that Baltimore would gameplan for Myles Garrett and other defensive stars, not the coach.
