The Cleveland Browns latest quest to find a head coach appeared to be nearing its conclusion on Monday.
But, as always with this franchise, things are never as simple as they could be.
Grant Udinski, who was gaining momentum, decided he was going to remove his name from consideration. A new deal with a pay increase to remain offensive coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars appears to have been enough to convince Udinski he is not missing out on anything in Cleveland.
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Later in the day, team officials were in Los Angeles for an in-person interview with Nate Scheelhaase, the passing game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. Despite speculation that Scheelhaase was the preferred choice and the fact that the Browns “had him in the building,” everyone went back to their respective homes without a deal in place.
The fact that Scheelhaase needed to get in some preparation for his interview with the Buffalo Bills on Monday night may have played a factor in nothing being completed with the Browns.
Jim Schwartz, a whiz as a defensive coordinator but not so much as a head coach, remains in the conversation, with some considering him the frontrunner, mostly because they fear he will leave if the Browns don’t make him their head coach.
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Hiring Schwartz makes all kinds of sense as long as you ignore that his five-year tenure as head coach of the Detroit Lions produced a winning percentage of .363, ranking him 182nd out of 207 head coaches in league history who coached at least 50 games, according to The Washington Post. That places Schwartz right between luminary head coaches Mike McCormack and Ray Perkins, for those keeping score at home.
While Schwartz and Scheelhaase are still considered the leaders in a race that no one seems all that desperate to win, there is one other name to keep an eye on, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and that is former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
Monken has 37 years of coaching experience, including three years of head coaching experience with Southern Mississippi, where he compiled a Schwartz-like .342 winning percentage. Also like Schwartz, Monken has fared far better as a coordinator, pocketing a pair of national championships with the Georgia Bulldogs and posting three productive seasons with the Ravens.
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It is hard to see Schwartz or Monken generating much excitement from the fan base if either of them winds up as the choice. But with their options dwindling, and owner Jimmy Haslam reportedly having a heavy presence in the decision, it could be that we are about to find out.
What do you say, Browns fans? Are you still fired up about the next head coach, or are you assuming the worst because it is the Browns? Let us know in the comments!