Updated Feb. 1, 2026, 6:26 p.m. ET
New Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken has been waiting a long time to become an NFL coach. At 59, Monken will finally get his chance.
Monken will face a major challenge in Cleveland. The Browns have struggled to put together winning seasons and have had one of the NFL’s worst offenses over the past two seasons. Cleveland lacks a strong option at quarterback and is a tough place to win.
Before Monken returned to the NFL as the Baltimore Ravens‘ offensive coordinator from 2023-2025, he served as the Georgia Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator from 2020-2022. He won a pair of national titles and an SEC championship during his tenure at Georgia under coach Kirby Smart.
Why did Monken leave Georgia after so much success? Well, he was hoping to become an NFL coach and that dream has come true.
“It’s surreal,” Monken said on finally becoming one of the 32 NFL coaches. “I mean, it is everything you work for your whole career. It’s the whole reason I came back to the NFL. The reason I left Georgia. (To) Give yourself a chance to be a head coach in the NFL (to) be one of the 32 (head coaches).”
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Monken and the Browns do have a lot of draft capital to try to turn around the franchise.
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