Todd Monken’s Former Players Share Glowing Endorsement of New Cleveland Browns Coach

New Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken will meet reporters in Berea for his introductory press conference on Tuesday.

But following his one-and-done season as offensive coordinator with Freddie Kitchens’ Browns in 2019, it felt like a return to Cleveland would never happen – certainly not as a head coach.

After that disastrous season, Monken took a break from coaching in the NFL after over a decade when he accepted to join Kirby Smart’s staff at Georgia as their offensive coordinator.

One of his former players at Georgia, Jared Wilson, is heading to the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots during his rookie season.

What former Georgia player had to say about Monken

During an exclusive interview with the BIGPLAY Sports Network at the Super Bowl’s opening night, Wilson beamed with excitement when he was asked about his former collegiate offensive coordinator.

“I love Monk,” Wilson said. “He’s a very special guy. He’s a different guy. He’s intense. He’s very intense but he’s a great leader of men and a great coach.”

Wilson admitted that some time has passed since Monken was his offensive coordinator in 2022. However, Monken’s ability to create close bonds with his players stands out.

“I just remember the relationship that Monken and Stetson Bennett had,” Wilson said. “They were really close and ultimately, we all got to the big game and won it.”

New Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken was Jared Wilson’s offensive coordinator at Georgia.

I asked him about what kind of coach the Browns are getting, and he highlighted Monken’s close relationship with QB Stetson Bennett ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/CRPD05EPgG
— Nick Pedone (@NickPedone12) February 3, 2026

Monken won back-to-back national titles with the Bulldogs in 2021 and 2022 before departing the college football universe to join the Baltimore Ravens as their offensive coordinator. During his first season in Baltimore, Lamar Jackson won his second MVP award. The following season, the Ravens had the No. 1 offense in the NFL.

While there’s no guarantee that all of this success will follow Monken to the Browns, one thing continues to pop up in conversations with those who were coached by the tenured offensive coordinator – Monken’s ability to connect with players.

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel also explained that creating close bonds with players was the most valuable lesson that he learned from his consulting contract with the Browns last season. Vrabel and Monken both preach building close bonds with players, something that former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski might not have been too great at handling.

During Wilson’s two seasons playing for Monken at Georgia, he only appeared in games as a backup. It wasn’t until Monken returned to the NFL for Wilson to earn his starting opportunity at center. Yet still, he smiled ear to ear when asked about his former college coordinator.

What former Browns tight end said about Monken

The 2019 season was a disaster for the Browns. But it wasn’t bad for Ricky Seals-Jones, who caught a career-high four touchdown passes with Monken as his offensive coordinator.

Seals-Jones joined “The BIGPLAY Cleveland Show” on Monday to share his endorsement, which was also based on his close, personal relationship with Monken.

"I loved him. He helped me a lot, he's a very smart guy, very player-friendly. He's going to get the best out of you." #DawgPound @RickySealsJones speaks fondly of his time in Cleveland with Todd Monken as OC.

presented by @drinkgaragebeer https://t.co/B2SOPlU4ej pic.twitter.com/6rwRxSmyWy
— BIGPLAY Cleveland Show (@BIGPLAYCLEshow) February 3, 2026

“He’s just a fun coach to work with, honestly,” Seals-Jones said. “He does a very good job of understanding his players and understanding the game plan – just being that coach you can come to and have a good relationship with.”