Browns Coaching Search: ESPN predicts who Cleveland will hire as its next head coach to replace Kevin Stefanski

ESPN believes the Browns are bringing in an offensive-minded coach.

Brandon Little — Ohio State Buckeyes & Cleveland Browns News Writer
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The first order of business for the Cleveland Browns this offseason is finding their new head coach. 

Kevin Stefanski was around for six seasons in Cleveland — and had more success than any other coach has in Northeast Ohio in recent memory. Stefanski’s spot in Cleveland got old quickly over the last two years with the failures of the offense — and now they’re looking for his replacement.  

ESPN predicts that Cleveland will hire former Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel 

It has been reported that the Browns are looking to hire an offense-minded head coach. Cleveland doing that makes sense with them wanting to keep Jim Schwartz in place as the defensive coordinator. ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes that it will be Mike McDaniel as the next head coach of the Browns. 

“Cleveland’s perpetually challenging quarterback situation could make this job a tough sell, but McDaniel is quirky, creative, and confident. And he had success in a challenging QB situation during his first two seasons in Miami. It’s not tough to imagine the Browns’ front office wanting to tap into McDaniels’ ideas about how to design and run an offense.” — Dan Graziano.

McDaniel is a brilliant play-caller who was limited with the quarterback situation in Miami with Tua Tagovailoa. Cleveland doesn’t currently have its franchise quarterback — so that would be something that McDaniel would have to weigh walking into. McDaniel is 35-33 as a head coach with an 0-2 record in the playoffs.

Back in 2014, McDaniel was the wide receivers coach in Cleveland before he spent two seasons as an offensive assistant for the Atlanta Falcons. The 42-year-old coach really got his name from his time with the San Francisco 49ers and Kyle Shanahan. McDaniel was the run game coordinator from 2017 to 2020 — then spent the 2021 season as the offensive coordinator. 

McDaniel would come with mixed reactions from the fanbase due to his recent firing in Miami. The former Dolphins coach is receiving interest from multiple teams — including the Browns — where ESPN has him landing. 

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