Kevin Stefanski hired as the Cleveland Browns 18th full-time head coach
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Paul DePodesta had to wait a year, but he got his man in Kevin Stefanski, the Vikings offensive coordinator.
The Browns on Sunday hired Stefanski, 37, as their 18th full-time head coach and their 10th in the new era. He’s the fifth one hired by the Browns since the Haslams took over in 2012.
But they’re hoping this one sticks. DePodesta, the Browns’ Chiefs Strategy Officer who ran the search this year, favored Stefanski last year, but was overruled by former GM John Dorsey, who opted for Freddie Kitchens at the last minute.
With the DePodesta driving the bus, he didn’t let Stefanski, get away this time. Even though Stefanski’s offense flopped in his head-to-head matchup with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, another Browns’ finalist, in the NFC Divisional Round loss on Saturday, it didn’t deter the Browns.
The Browns will also try to bring former Vice President of Player Personnel Andrew Berry back into the fold to achieve that elusive organizational alignment Jimmy Haslam is seeking.
The Browns have requested permission from the Eagles to interview Berry, their current VP of Football Operations, as Browns GM. Berry would pair well with Stefanski, whom he got to know during the Browns’ head coach search last year.
Berry and DePodesta favored Stefanski, but Dorsey opted for Kitchens, and it cost both of them their jobs after the 6-10 season. The analytics-heavy trio would give the Browns an All-Ivy lineup, with two Harvard grads in DePodesta and Berry, and a Penn alum in Stefanski.
Berry, 32, is a GM candidate for at least one other NFL job, but loved his time in Cleveland under DePodesta, and is a long-time favorite of Haslam. The Browns have also requested permission to interview Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds, who would also pair well with Stefanski.
Stefanski “blew away’’ everyone on the search committee last season and only bolstered his resume this year running the offense full-time with the help of Super Bowl winning coach Gary Kubiak, who was hired as Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Advisor to mentor Stefanski.
In his 14th season as a Vikings assistant — their longest-tenured coach — and first as their full-time offensive coordinator, Stefanski helped guide Minnesota to a 10-6 record and an upset of the Saints in the Wildcard round.
The Vikings finished 16th overall on offense this season, but sixth in rushing and eighth in points scored. Kirk Cousins finished fourth in the NFL with a 107.4 rating and fourth with a 69.1 completion percentage.
Stefanski also earned high praise from Kubiak, who could be a candidate to run the Browns’ offense if Stefanski get the job.
“Kevin’s got a brilliant future,” Kubiak told Vikings reporters in November. “The key to getting in position to [be a head coach] is calling games, calling defenses, calling offenses, making decisions, handling a meeting room of a bunch of players, being able to get the most out of not only players, but coaches as well. Kevin’s been exceptional and this is a great opportunity for him this year to do it on a full-time basis. He’s doing a great job with it.”
Kevin Stefanski hired as the Cleveland Browns 18th full-time head coach
Stefanski, 37, was the seventh candidate interviewed by the Browns.
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