Ranking Cleveland Browns top five head coaching candidates

The Cleveland Browns fired head coach Kevin Stefanski on Monday.

In the days that followed, the Browns have worked to set meetings with candidates to replace Stefanski, who had coached the team over the last six seasons.

So far, the team has met with Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher and Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde. The Browns also interviewed their internal candidates, Jim Schwartz and Tommy Rees, on Thursday.

The Browns are also expected to express interest in recently fired head coaches Mike McDaniel and John Harbaugh, who is reportedly taking the weekend before committing to any interviews.

Let’s rank the top five available candidates for the Browns to pursue right now.

5. Tommy Rees, Browns offensive coordinator

Rees was nearly hired away from the Browns last offseason before Bill Belichick decided to coach the North Carolina Tar Heels. Then, the Browns made the decision to fire offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and promote Rees to that role.

When Stefanski handed Rees the playcalling responsibility after Cleveland’s bye week, the 33-year-old coordinator found success developing Shedeur Sanders, who will be an option at quarterback for the Browns in 2026.

Rees’ relationship with Sanders is likely a big reason for his interview, as the team will seek any intel possible as they prepare for next season. But this isn’t a pity interview.

During the final weeks of Cleveland’s season, Rees received interest from Penn State and Michigan. The former Notre Dame quarterback also worked as Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator at Alabama. The legendary Saban speaks highly of Rees, who will undoubtedly become a head coach one day.

4. Mike LaFleur, Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator

The younger brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, Mike LaFleur is expected to receive head coaching looks once his season comes to a completion.

Mike LaFleur currently coaches the MVP front-runner, Matthew Stafford. His balanced offense features a stable rushing attack as well as talented receivers Davante Adams and Puka Nacua.

While hiring an offensive disciple of Sean McVay could scare away suitors because of the genius that follows the Rams’ head coach, LaFleur is expected to be one of the most in demand coordinators this cycle.

3. Jim Schwartz, Browns defensive coordinator

If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.

The Browns value Schwartz after he coached the team’s defense to be one of the league’s elite units over these last few seasons.

Browns superstar defenders including Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward both endorsed Schwartz to replace Stefanski.

This would be a hire that would allow Cleveland’s current culture to remain in tact.

2. Mike McDaniel

The Dolphins surprisingly parted ways with McDaniel after he extracted the most out of limited quarterback Tua Tagovailoa during his four seasons coaching in Miami.

McDaniel served under Kyle Shanahan’s offense, coaching the wide receivers in Cleveland during the team’s 2014 season. While their split from Cleveland wasn’t pretty, the Browns have long-admired McDaniel’s offensive genius.

Under McDaniel’s watch, the Dolphins battled back from a 1-6 start, finishing the season with a 7-10 record.

If the Browns want a proven offensive mind, McDaniel could be a prime option. They are interested in the ex-Dolphins coach, but haven’t set a meeting yet.

1. John Harbaugh

The most sought after coach around the NFL, Harbaugh has dominated the Browns during his 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.

Harbaugh is expected to be in demand for every NFL opening. But would he opt to coach the Dolphins in the same division as Josh Allen and Drake Maye? Or could the Browns convince the Toledo native to coach his childhood team?

Harbaugh is going to watch the NFL Wild Card weekend from home before accepting any interviews, but the Browns have done their due diligence and reached out for a meeting.