Kevin Stefanski’s time as the Cleveland Browns head coach has come to an end after six seasons. The Browns announced they had fired the 43-year-old in a statement released Jan. 5.
‘We have tremendous gratitude for Kevin’s leadership of the Cleveland Browns over the last six seasons,’ the statement from Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam read. ‘He is a good football coach and an even better person. We appreciate all his hard work and dedication to our organization but our results over the last two seasons have not been satisfactory, and we believe a change at the head coaching position is necessary. We wish Kevin, Michelle and the Stefanski family all the best in the future.’
Stefanski posted a 45-56 record across 101 games with the Browns, but he twice earned the NFL’s Coach of the Year award. The first came in 2020, when he led Baker Mayfield to his best season with the Browns and helped Cleveland win its first playoff game since 1994; the second came in 2023 when the Browns went 11-6 while starting five different quarterbacks and had Joe Flacco blossom into the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
While Stefanski oversaw one of the modern Browns’ most successful eras, the team sputtered to just a 8-26 record over his final two seasons in charge. That, plus the team’s bottom-ranked offense, was enough for Cleveland to seek greener pastures as it looks to answer its quarterback question: Will Shedeur Sanders be the solution, or will the team’s next head coach have other ideas?
Stefanski won’t be easy to replace, especially amid a coaching cycle many pundits have labeled lackluster. Nonetheless, there are some quality candidates who could offer the Browns an organizational reset, with a handful of particularly strong defensive-minded candidates standing out as potential options for Cleveland.
Here’s a look at the Browns’ best options to replace Stefanski during the 2026 NFL offseason.
Browns coaching candidates: 6 replacements for Kevin Stefanski
Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator
Flores is due for another shot as an NFL head coach. He went 24-25 across three seasons with the Dolphins from 2019-21 and led Miami to back-to-back winning seasons before being fired.
Since then, Flores has established himself as one of the NFL’s best defensive coordinator. He quickly turned the Vikings from a league-worst unit in 2022 to one of the league’s best by 2025. The Vikings ranked first in pressure rate (41.4%) and seventh in defensive EPA per play under the 44-year-old’s tutelage, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, and it’s fun to imagine the success he could enjoy with Cleveland’s Myles Garrett-led defense.
Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator
Joseph is another strong retread option. The 53-year-old posted an 11-21 record across two seasons with the Broncos from 2017-18, but like Flores, he has established himself as one of the NFL’s best defensive minds in recent seasons.
Joseph led the Broncos to top-10 defensive finishes in each of the last two seasons while working with Sean Payton. This year, Denver ranks No. 2 overall in pressure rate and generated a league-high 68 sacks while allowing just 19 points per game (third-fewest in the NFL) for the season.
Jeff Hafley, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator
If the Browns want an up-and-comer on defense, Hafley could drawn consideration. The 46-year-old took over the Packers defense from Joe Barry ahead of the 2024 NFL season and instantly turned it into a top-five scoring unit.
Hafley has ties to the Browns, serving as the team’s defensive backs coach during the 2014-15 seasons under Mike Pettine. That, his head coaching experience at Boston College and his ability to seamlessly integrate Micah Parsons into Green Bay’s defense on eve of the 2025 season should be enough to at least draw Hafley an interview in Cleveland.
Mike McCarthy, former Dallas Cowboys head coach
Stefanski has been the Browns’ most successful coach of the 21st century. Moving on from him won’t be easy, but landing a guy like McCarthy – who has a proven track record and a 174-122-2 career record as a coach – could soften the blow.
McCarthy has earned double-digit wins in 11 of his 18 seasons as an NFL coach and won Super Bowl 45 while with the Green Bay Packers. He spent 2025 out of the NFL after parting with the Dallas Cowboys but the 62-year-old could be a safe, high-floor hire for the Browns, even if his 11-11 playoff track record leaves a bit to be desired.
Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator
Poaching Monken from the Ravens could be a solid move for the Browns. Lamar Jackson was an All-Pro in each of his first two seasons in Monken’s vertical passing attack, and the 59-year-old could employ a similar system to jumpstart a Cleveland offense that ranked dead-last in offensive EPA per play in 2025, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.
Monken was the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2019, the team’s lone full season under Freddie Kitchens’ tutelage. The team ranked just 22nd in points and yards per game, but Nick Chubb enjoyed a Pro Bowl-caliber season while both Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. had 1,000-yard seasons.
The Browns may look back at that production more fondly, especially given Monken’s recent track record. That could lead Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry to give the experienced assistant an interview.
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
Brady is just 36 years old but may soon land a head coaching job. He spent the last 2 1/2 seasons as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator and has led the Bills to top-10 finishes in points and yards per game across each of his seasons with the team.
Brady helped Joe Burrow turn in a historic season at LSU and oversaw Josh Allen’s NFL MVP campaign in 2024. His ability to help develop top-tier quarterbacks should pique the interest of numerous NFL teams, and Cleveland – which has one of the more uncertain quarterback situations in the league – should be among them.
