Browns' Pursuit of Texans Assistant Comes as No Surprise

Losing important puzzle pieces from your coaching staff becomes commonplace when you win plenty of ball games and reach the playoffs on a consistent basis. Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans is wildly aware of the road assistant coaches travel to the top; so in many ways, you simply must rinse and repeat within the internal ranks.

The Texans might have to be diving into some coaching changes on their own, depending on the results of their latest assistant gaining traction for the Cleveland Browns' defensive coordinator opening: defensive pass-game coordinator, Cory Undlin, is in-house interviewing with the Browns with a chance to claim the gig, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Browns conducting in-person defensive coordinator interviews this weekend, including Texans pass-game coordinator Cory Undlin. Cleveland linebackers coach Jason Tarver and Falcons pass-game coordinator Mike Rutenberg also remain firmly in the mix.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 15, 2026

Undlin's resume is extensive, but it's his previous stint serving under new Browns head coach Todd Monken with the Jacksonville Jaguars back in 2009-10 which has the most relevant significance. Of course, Undlin's work to develop the Texans' deep and talented defensive secondary was always likely to bring him back to the attention of his peer group.

How elite NFL defenders like Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, Jalen Pitre, and Calen Bullock made even more progress in 2025 has undoubtedly tied another string to the bow of Undlin.

The Texans' defensive secondary also plays with a relentless attacking energy, a trait which other teams are looking to tap into, so hence the Browns are now drawn to Undlin.

Now aged 54, Undlin will also be looking at this major opportunity with the Browns as coming at the best possible time, and with a coach he's worked closely with previously. Furthermore, the chance to call plays once again is a huge reason for Undlin to jump on a plane to Cleveland and sell himself for the job.

Sep 17, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive passing game coordinator Cory Undlin reacts during pre game against the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

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If Fowler is indeed on the money, Undlin is one of the hot favorites to land a nice little promotion in Cleveland, a place where some solid defensive roots have been previously laid down by Jim Schwartz.

Maintaining some degree of continuity within the coaching ranks will be deemed a win by DeMeco Ryans, but losing a veteran coach like Undlin will, of course, require a little bit of reshuffling to be undertaken moving forward.

At the very least, Ryans isn't going to be caught napping by the fact that he's losing some guys to other teams; the reset will all be handled in due course, and the scheme won't change either.

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