Browns hire Todd Monken as new head coach - ESPN

The Cleveland Browns have hired former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken to be their next head coach, the team announced Wednesday.

Monken, who turns 60 on Feb. 5, replaces Kevin Stefanski, who was fired Jan. 5 after six seasons in Cleveland. The Browns finished 5-12 this past season and have an 8-26 record since last reaching the playoffs in the 2023 season.

Cleveland hiring Monken as its head coach leaves the New York Giants and their head coach, John Harbaugh, in search of a new offensive coordinator. Many expected Monken to follow Harbaugh to New York if he was not hired as a head coach.

Monken, who had spent the past three seasons in Baltimore and was not retained on new Ravens coach Jesse Minter's staff, will become Cleveland's 11th full-time coach since returning to the NFL in 1999, which trails only the Las Vegas Raiders (13) during that span. He previously served as offensive coordinator of the Browns in the 2019 season on Freddie Kitchens' staff.

Todd Monken's bread and butter has been a strong rushing attack. During his time as Ravens offensive coordinator (2023-25), Baltimore ranked at or near the top of the NFL in most rushing categories. He also had success in Cleveland during his one year as OC (2019) as the Browns were fourth in yards per rush (4.8).

"[Monken] is an outstanding leader and has a clear vision to lead our team as a strong communicator who values trust with his players but also accountability and preparation. In our committee's exhaustive reference work on Todd, his commitment to player development was evident, and his tough and straightforward coaching is respected by the players and the coaches he's worked with, putting our team in a position to succeed while developing our