Cleveland Browns Coaching Search Reportedly Down To Three Candidates

The Cleveland Browns seem to be looking into three final candidates for their head coach.

Sep 28, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A general view of the Cleveland Browns helmets on the field before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns are in the middle of a coaching search, and they might be getting closer to a selection.

Cleveland.com's Browns reporter, Mary Kay Cabot reported on X Tuesday night that the Browns have seemingly narrowed their search to three finalists for the position.

The candidates include Nathan Scheelhaase, the passing game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, Todd Monken, the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, and Jim Schwartz, the Browns defensive coordinator.

The #Browns did more work on 3 of their head coach finalists today, and are still working thru some things. The 3 are Jim Schwartz, Todd Monken, & Nate Scheelhaase. We could possibly still hear something tonight.

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) January 28, 2026

The Browns also interviewed Washington Commanders running backs coach Anthony Lynn on Saturday, but it appears he may not be one of the candidates for the job.

The Browns could be looking at hiring Scheelhaase

Cleveland flew out to Los Angeles for an in-person interview with Scheelhaase on Monday. Many believed that the Browns could have offered him the job that night, but the Buffalo Bills threw a wrench in Cleveland's plans.

While the Browns were interviewing Scheelhaase, the Bills also reached out to speak with him. He ended up having a Zoom interview with Buffalo on Monday, but ultimately, he didn’t get the head coaching job.

The Bills announced on Tuesday that they have promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach. With Buffalo now out of the running for Scheelhaase and no interest reported from the Las Vegas Raiders or the Arizona Cardinals, there’s a good chance the Browns could hire a head coach soon.

Cleveland could be hiring Scheelhaase and likely wanted to ensure that the Bills didn't scoop him up. If the Browns were interested in bringing in Schwartz or Monken, they would have decided by now, especially since they interviewed both candidates last week.

The Browns had to interview Scheelhaase for a second interview under the NFL Rooney Rule, but couldn't do so last week because the Rams were playing in the NFC Championship.

After the Browns conducted their interview with Scheelhaase, they could hire whoever they wanted. However, as of Tuesday night, the Browns still hadn't named a head coach. This could be a positive sign for Scheelhaase, but it might also mean they are waiting to see if he accepts the position. If he declines the offer, they could shift their focus to Monken or Schwartz.

Scheelhaase doesn’t appear to have any other NFL head coaching opportunities at the moment, but there’s a possibility he could receive a promotion with the Rams. Los Angeles offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is reportedly a finalist for the Cardinals head coaching position. If Arizona decides to hire him, Scheelhaase could be promoted to the Rams offensive coordinator role.

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