Major Drama Erupts In Cleveland Browns Building After They Announced New Head Coaching Hire, And It’s About To Get Ugly

A coaching hire creates tension that could reshape Cleveland’s future.

The Cleveland Browns finally wrapped up their messy head coaching search by hiring former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken. That ended the search, but it quickly created new problems.

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Several top candidates had already backed out of the job. Some took smaller roles with other teams. Others walked away late in the process. People around the league said internal power struggles scared them off. Now those issues are causing trouble inside the team.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, tension started almost immediately after Monken was hired. Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was not happy with the move. His reaction now puts one of the NFL’s best defenses at risk of falling apart.

Jim Schwartz Fallout Shakes Browns

Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz (Photo Via Imagn Images)
Pelissero said Jim Schwartz did not take it well. He was upset after the Browns chose Todd Monken over him as head coach. Schwartz reportedly said goodbye to staff inside the building and told other coaches he does not plan to return.

“After the Browns informed DC Jim Schwartz this morning they were passing him over to hire Todd Monken as head coach, Schwartz was visibly upset, said goodbyes in the building and told other coaches he’s not coming back, sources tell The Insiders. Schwartz is under contract and Cleveland wants to retain him. But his future is now unclear,” Pelissero wrote.

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The news sent shock around the league. Schwartz had built one of the NFL’s best defenses, and Cleveland depended on that group to remain competitive. Losing him would be a major blow.

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Team officials still hope to keep Schwartz, but that looks unlikely. Sources say he does not want to stay after being passed over.

Problems had been building for weeks. Several coaching candidates pulled out of Cleveland’s search, reportedly because of concerns about Schwartz’s role and influence. Grant Udinski, Mike McDaniel, and Jesse Minter all exited the process. Minter later accepted the Ravens head coaching job.

Cleveland.com reported that Monken was open to keeping Schwartz as defensive coordinator. After this reaction, that option is now off the table.

Owner Jimmy Haslam publicly backed Schwartz earlier this month. “We think a lot of Jim Schwartz,” Haslam told reporters on Jan. 5. That support did not translate into the top job.

The Browns now have a difficult decision to make. They may need to replace a defensive leader that the team trusted.

Hiring a head coach fixed one issue, but it may have caused another for sure.