Oh, how the turntables… turn. In the NFL, everything tends to be about relationships, good or bad, in decision-making. That is especially true with coaching staffs, as new head coaches like to bring in coaches they are familiar with. We have seen that with new Cleveland Browns HC Todd Monken on the offensive side of the ball, a number of former Baltimore Ravens are expected to join him.
As Monken looks to replace Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator, the new Browns head coach might look to poach Mike Rutenberg from the former Cleveland head coach’s staff in Atlanta:
When Stefanski took over the Falcons, he retained DC Jeff Ulbrich and his staff, including Rutenberg.
Rutenberg joined Atlanta last season after four years with the New York Jets as their linebackers coach under Robert Saleh. Rutenberg was with the Jacksonville Jaguars for seven seasons, then the San Francisco 49ers for a year prior to his time with the Jets. After one year coaching under Joe Gibbs in Washington, Ruttenberg spent seven seasons coaching at the college level, including at UCLA, New Mexico State, and San Diego (his lone time as a coordinator).