Everything Browns Fans Should Know About Defensive Coordinator Candidate Cory Undlin

The Cleveland Browns are still amidst their search for a new defensive coordinator to lead their championship-caliber defense next season.

After the recent hiring of Todd Monken as the Browns next head coach, the question was whether Monken would retain defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz or not. Ultimately, the decision wasn’t left to Monken, as Schwartz decided he wasn’t going to coach their star-studded defense in 2026 by resigning, leaving Cleveland’s coordinator job wide open.

This decision came at the result of Schwartz not being selected as Cleveland’s next head coach, which left the Browns in a peculiar situation now having a coaching vacancy they had not anticipated. There is still time for Schwartz to mend his relationship with their front office, but over the course of the few weeks since his decision, Andrew Berry and company have been doing their homework on potential successors for next season.

With a few names circulating regarding the job, a new name has surfaced as a possible fit to take over the reins, that being Houston Texans pass game coordinator Cory Undlin.

Undlin’s Fit With Cleveland

One of the biggest positives when it comes to Cory Undlin is his familiarity with the defensive scheme Cleveland ran under Schwartz’s regime, which Todd Monken made clear would remain the same next season. With this aggressive 4-3 scheme, paired with the Browns current talent is a match made in heaven, seeing as they were able to produce the league's number one defense from 2023-25.

This would be the expectation if Undlin were to find his way to Cleveland, especially with his knowledge and experience coaching on Jim Schwartz’s staff during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles. During that time, Undlin was their defensive backs coach from 2016-19 and coincidentally coached with now Browns head coach Todd Monken on his staff in Jacksonville during the 2009-10 season.

During Undlin’s time with Houston, their defense operated under a similar style that Cleveland has shown with their defense, that being a penetrating front four, a dynamic tandem of fast paced, heavy hitting linebackers, followed by their aggressive high man coverage defensive secondary.

Using that similar scheme with Houston, their defense has also excelled over the last few seasons while developing a few standout players in the process such as Jalen Pitre, Derek Stingley Jr., and Kamari Lassiter.

Undlin's prior history with Monken—a recurring theme in Cleveland's recent coaching hires—has drawn numerous coaches from Monken's Baltimore days to join the Browns' staff. That connection could give Undlin an edge if Cleveland secures an interview with him in the coming weeks.