CLEVELAND, Ohio — Browns GM Andrew Berry reached back into his past to find a possible replacement for Kevin Stefanski, and also looked right down Interstate 71.
It’s Dan Pitcher, offensive coordinator for the Bengals, whom the Browns have requested permission to interview.
He’s the third known request after Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde. The Browns will also interview two of their own assistants, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees on Thursday.
Pitcher, who will turn 39 next week, began his career in scouting with the Colts, where he worked under Berry, who’s conducting the search. Berry, who was the Colts’ pro scouting coordinator during his time in Indy with Pitcher from 2012-15, noted during his press conference on Monday that the coach and GM must work in lockstep. He hired Pitcher in 2012 as a scouting assistant, and then promoted him to pro scout in 2014.
“When I say partnership, head coach/GM relationship is a lot like a marriage,” Berry said. “You have to work side by side and fight back-to-back. And I think that that’s really, really important because you have to be aligned in terms of how you’re positioning the team.”
As a young coach, Pitcher might also welcome the veteran experience of Schwartz and keep him place, which is one thing the Browns are hoping for if Schwartz doesn’t get the head job.
A former college quarterback at Colgate and Cortland, Pitcher took over as Bengals OC in 2024 after being an offensive assistant there since 2016. Serving as assistant quarterbacks coach and then quarterbacks coach, Pitcher guided Joe Burrow to some of his best NFL seasons, including a Super Bowl appearance after the 2021 season, where they lost to the Rams.
Pitcher’s NFL roots trace back to the Colts, where he broke into the league on the personnel side. He spent several seasons in the Colts’ scouting department, gaining experience in player evaluation, advance work and roster construction. That background gave him a broad understanding of how offenses are built, not just schemed, and exposed him to the Colts’ quarterback-driven model during the Andrew Luck era. Those years are often cited by colleagues as formative, sharpening his eye for detail and his ability to translate evaluation into on-field application.
He transitioned into coaching in Cincinnati, joining the Bengals in 2016 and steadily working his way up. Pitcher served in a variety of offensive roles, including offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach, where he became closely tied to the development of Burrow. Known for his calm demeanor and preparation, Pitcher played a key role in Burrow’s weekly game-planning, film study habits and command of the offense, particularly during Cincinnati’s Super Bowl run and subsequent playoff seasons.
By the time he was promoted to offensive coordinator, Pitcher was already deeply embedded in the Bengals’ system, terminology and culture. His approach blends modern passing concepts with an evaluator’s understanding of personnel strengths, allowing the offense to adapt without losing its identity. For the Bengals, Pitcher represents continuity with an edge — a coach shaped by both scouting rooms and meeting rooms, now entrusted with maximizing a championship-caliber quarterback and offense.
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