Two Finalists for Cleveland Browns Head Coaching Job Revealed by NFL Insider

The Cleveland Browns' head coaching search has been an entertaining one, with some of the focus being on whether they should promote from within with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz or bring in somebody new.

Those new candidates have been Chargers DC Jesse Minter, Ravens OC Todd Monken, and now the two believed finalists for the job, who are younger candidates that have been working their way up the rankings in NFL circles.

The two believed finalists are Jaguars OC Grant Udinski and Rams Pass Game Coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

Here’s my reporting on the #Browns and where things stand with their HC search.

One additional note: There’s a good chance they add another name or two to the mix. Very fluid. https://t.co/drgS1HgJs8 pic.twitter.com/rjCfjDFZPR
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 21, 2026

“This is a team that could target a coach that is a year away if they truly believe that coach is a future star,” Schultz detailed last week.

“Jaguars OC Grant Udinski, who just turned 30 last week, and Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase both had excellent first interviews and are now finalists,” Schultz went on.

This thinking is almost exactly what Adam Schefter had to say about what the team should be zeroing in on, focusing on a offensive-mined head coach to pair up with the stellar DC that Jim Schwartz is.

“But the Browns believe they have a roster filled with young future stars along with established talent, and the sense is their preference is to go young if they believe the right candidate is available; they don’t want to force it,” Schultz finished with.

If Udinski were to get the job, he would be the youngest head coach in NFL history at 30 years old. Sean McVay was also 30 when he got the Rams job, but was closer to turning 31.

In Udinski’s first season as the Jags OC, he helped boost quarterback Trevor Lawrence to the best season in his career, passing for over 4,00 yards and 29 touchdowns. The Jags also ranked top ten in EPA per play on passing plays, a stat the Browns were dead last in.

Scheelhaase also fits the mold of a younger, offensive-minded coach. At 35 years old, he has been working his way up through the NFL ranks.

After being a starting quarterback for Illinois from 2009-2013, Scheelhaase started coaching at his alma mater as the running backs coach in 2015, then moved to offensive assistant for the Illini for the next couple of years, before then coaching at Iowa State as the running backs coach. After five years with the Cyclones, Scheelhaase had moved up to the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach position.

His NFL coaching career started in 2024, when he was hired by the Rams to be the pass game specialist. The Rams ranked 10th in the league in passing yards that year, but this season he helped take the Rams' passing game to the next level. Los Angeles ranked first in the NFL in total passing yards (4,557), first in passing yards per game (268.1), and second in EPA per pass.

Schultz also touched on the fact that the coaching search is still fluid, so there is a good chance there will be more names added as finalists.

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