Well, another disappointing Browns season is in the books, and another head coach is out. Kevin Stefanski is out after putting up an 8-26 record over the past two seasons.
Now it’s time for Cleveland’s ownership to peek into the coaching market and find someone who they believe can set this team on the right track. Who will emerge as Cleveland’s next head coach? Let’s break down the odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Browns next head coach odds
Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula (+500) is the leader in the field. The 39-year-old was hired by Sean McVay back in 2017 and has worked his way up from assistant linebackers coach to DC in his time with the Rams. Hiring a defense-first head coach would emphasize Cleveland’s greatest strength; Myles Garrett just set the NFL sack record, and they drafted two promising building blocks last year in Carson Schwesinger and Mason Graham. The McVay coaching tree has not lost any of its luster.
Shula is followed by two high-profile offensive coordinators, Kliff Kingsbury (+600) and Joe Brady (+650). Kingsbury is somewhat infamous for his time as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, where his teams started out strong and went up in flames down the stretch like clockwork. But he certainly rehabbed his value with the Commanders, leading Jayden Daniels to one of the best rookie QB seasons in recent memory. He’d be an interesting retread candidate, and would likely have his pick of quarterback in the offseason (Kyler Murray is likely available!).
Cleveland luring Joe Brady away from his spot would be quite an upset. He’s been one of the best offensive coordinators in the game since joining the Buffalo Bills in 2022, and has reportedly rebuffed multiple interviews at the NCAA and NFL levels over the past couple of offseasons. Perhaps the promise of a clean quarterback and receiver slate and a potential foundation running back in Quinshon Judkins would lure him after a relative down year for the Bills.
Rounding out the top six are three more defense-first guys. Robert Saleh (+700) has been a popular name among multiple teams with head-coach openings. After his stint with the Jets crashed and burned, Saleh returned to San Francisco and led their defense admirably through a trying, injury-filled season. Now that he has his joy back, perhaps he’s willing to attempt another resuscitation of a pariah franchise. Jim Schwartz (+700) is the leading internal hire candidate, having been Cleveland’s defensive coordinator since 2023. The offense has fallen apart, but Schwartz’s defenses have been great, and he brings nearly 30 years of NFL experience to the table.
Brian Flores (+700) rounds out the top six. He put up winning seasons in his last two seasons as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, but an ugly falling out with owner Stephen Ross that (allegedly) included Flores refusing to tank for draft picks sent him back to the assistant coach ranks. Flores has been in charge of the Minnesota Vikings’ defense for the past few years. He’s most notably produced some great secondary play, coaxed a career season out of Danielle Hunter, and turned fringe talents like Ivan Pace into consistent contributors.
Here’s a look at the full field for Cleveland’s top job:
Some of the names get funny as you go down the list. Knowing the history of the Browns’ head coaching searches, anything is possible. Maybe they circle back on Condoleezza Rice. Is Timothee Chalamet interested in coaching some football? Prepare yourself for anything as this search will begin to ramp up shortly.
