Cleveland Browns set to hire ex-Tennessee Vols coordinator

A little more than a decade ago, Mike Bajakian departed his post as Tennessee Vols offensive coordinator for a return to the NFL.

He became the quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Bucs.

That franchise’s offensive coordinator at the time? Todd Monken.

Now, Bajakian is poised to reunite with Monken. Sources tell FootballScoop that Bajakian is being targeted to join Monken’s inaugural Cleveland Browns staff.

Multiple NFL reporters share today the Browns are set to add him in Cleveland.

Monken was hired atop that franchise earlier this week, and Bajakian, who had joined Pat Fitzgerald’s first-year Michigan State staff, is instead expected to coach quarterbacks for the Browns. He spent last fall as the offensive coordinator at UMass.

He’ll inherit one of the NFL’s most polarizing position groups that includes 2025 rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.

The Browns will mark Bajakian’s third different NFL franchise; he previously worked with the Chicago Bears from 2004-06 and then the Bucs from 2015-18.

Additionally, Bajakian has been the offensive coordinator at multiple college programs, including Central Michigan, Cincinnati and Tennessee — all with Butch Jones; he’s also headed the offense at Boston College and Northwestern, among additional programs.