Kevin Stefanski just wrapped up his sixth season as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. By Monday, the Browns informed the two-time NFL Coach of the Year winner that he won’t be welcomed back for a seventh season.
The 43-year-old enters the NFL head coaching market as a somewhat attractive candidate, leading the Browns to a respectable 45-56 record. That also includes two playoff appearances, in which he went 1-2.
After all, this is a Browns team that hadn’t had a winning season since 2007, until Stefanski achieved the feat in his 2020 head-coaching debut. That season also marked Cleveland’s first postseason appearance since 2002.
Considering how bad Cleveland’s QB room looked throughout Stefanski’s tenure, the fact that he had two 11-win seasons is impressive. Especially considering he reportedly was never on board with the biggest move of his tenure, trading for Deshaun Watson.
At least that’s the story from Pete Prisco of CBS Sports, who reported, “From what I was told, he (Stefanski) didn’t want that trade made.”
The Browns gave up three first-round picks (plus more) in exchange for Watson, yet he never led the team in passing in a single season. Of course, with the Browns open to keeping Watson on their roster in 2026, maybe his breakout season in Cleveland has yet to arrive.
Meanwhile, Stefanski leaves Cleveland as the fourth-winningest head coach in Browns franchise history. He also ranks eighth in win-rate, right behind Bill Belichick.
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