Browns Fire Kevin Stefanski After Six Seasons

Cleveland was the first team to make a move on Black Monday.

Browns fired coach Kevin Stefanski. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Black Monday is here, and it started with the Browns firing coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported first.

This move was somewhat expected after Cleveland posted a 5–12 record to finish last in the AFC North. The Browns’ decision on Monday stems from the disappointing results the past two seasons (they went 3–14 last season). He posted a 45-56 record over his six seasons. Now general manager Andrew Berry will lead the search to find Stefanski’s replacement for the 2026 season.

“We have tremendous gratitude for Kevin’s leadership of the Cleveland Browns over the last six seasons,” managing and principal Partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement. “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.”

A statement of appreciation from Dee and Jimmy Haslam and insight on the process ahead pic.twitter.com/XrZBNuE3Rv

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) January 5, 2026

Berry released a statement praising Stefanski for his work he accomplished in Cleveland, but shifted the fans’ focus to the future of the franchise.

“I am disappointed that we could not accomplish more together and the collective underperformance of our group is something I own,” Berry said in a statement. “We will remain steadfast in our commitment to our fans in building the Browns into an organization that sustains success. Now, our attention turns to the search for the person to lead and develop what will be a young offense with heavy investment over the next six months to match and build on the performance of a young defense that is already playing at an elite level.”

Stefanski’s run in Cleveland started out strong. During his first season in 2020, Stefanski led the Browns to their first playoff bid since 2002, and then they won their first postseason game in 26 years. The team was led by Baker Mayfield, who played his last season in Cleveland that year. Stefanski was named Coach of the Year in 2020, and he later won the award again in ‘23. He was just the second Browns coach to win the award, and the first to win it twice.

Stefanski will likely become a top candidate for other NFL teams searching for a coach in 2026. Right now, the Titans, Giants and Falcons have open spots. Since Stefanski was fired, he is eligible to start interviewing with teams whenever he wants to. We’ll see where he lands in the future.

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