Jim Schwartz Reportedly Had a Very Angry Exit After Not Getting Browns Job

Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was not promoted to head coach. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

After a lengthy search process that featured multiple rejections and a slew of coaching candidates, the Browns finally landed their next head coach on Wednesday. The team announced that Todd Monken, former offensive coordinator of the Ravens, would be taking up the role vacated by Kevin Stefanski.

That decision, it seems, is already having ripple effects within the building. According to reporting from NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who was a candidate for the vacant head coaching role, was “visibly upset” after learning that he’d not been given the job.

Pelissero reports that Schwartz went as far as to “say goodbyes” to people in the building and told other coaches that he’s “not coming back.”

Schwartz has been Cleveland’s defensive coordinator since 2023, and he remains under contract through the 2026 campaign. He interviewed twice for the head coaching vacancy before the team opted to go with Monken. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Monken is open to the idea of Schwartz staying on as defensive coordinator, though that feeling may not be mutual.

The Browns’ coaching search was a mess from the start. Multiple reports indicated that various candidates had pulled out of the running for the job––even those without prior head coaching experience, such as Jaguars OC Grant Udinski and former Chargers DC Jesse Minter (who took the Ravens’ job). Now that they’ve finally landed their next coach, that decision has seemingly fractured the locker room and could even lead to the departure of their defensive coordinator, who has been one of the most influential individuals in the building in recent years.

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