So Long Stefanski?: Can He Still Be The HC Of The Future, Or Should He Be Fired?

The Browns dropped yet another game this season as they lost to the New York Jets 27-20. Two untimely mental errors, a defensive holding on LB Devin Bush, and a Neutral Zone Infraction on DE Cameron Thomas doomed any chance of a Cleveland comeback. When asked about his giving up play-calling duties during the post-game press interview, Head Coach Kevin Stefanski said, “…obviously my role is to make sure everybody’s in position to succeed, and I’ll continue to look for ways to do that.” The problem with that is, he’s had over six seasons to figure that out and hasn’t done so yet.

Kevin Stefanski was hired back in 2020 after spending fourteen years as an offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. Since then, the team has experienced a fair share of highs and lows. In Stefanski’s 1st season, he led Cleveland to an 11-6 record, the most wins since 1994 for the franchise.

The Browns had suddenly turned into the talk of the league, being hailed by ESPN’s Marcus Spears as “the best team on paper.” A Wild Card win over hated rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers and a close loss to eventual AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs had hopes high for Cleveland’s future, then everything came crashing down. The following season saw injuries to QB Baker Mayfield and RT Jack Conklin, internal strife leading to the release of Odell Beckham Jr., and several other players underperforming under Stefanski.

Over the next couple of years, we’ve seen more disappointment than success. A surprise 11-6 campaign in 2023 caught a rare glimpse of the team’s potential. However, all hope for Cleveland was dashed immediately as they were routed in the Wild Card by the Houston Texans 45-14. Since then, the Browns have gone 5-21 with no signs of improvement. An aging roster, terrible draft picks, and a disastrous change at quarterback have turned a once-promising roster into what the Browns have been for well over two decades: a joke.

There are plenty of people to blame for the current abysmal state that the Browns find themselves in: Deshaun Watson, Andrew Berry, Paul Depoetesa, but Stefanski is at the top of the list.

The team’s ownership apparently doesn’t share the same critical opinion of Coach Stefanski as most of the fan base. On Cleveland.com’s Orange and Brown Talk Podcast, Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot said, “Kevin Stefanski is 100% totally safe” in terms of his job security. If Stefanski has a vote of confidence from Jimmy Haslam and Andrew Berry, then an immediate coaching change probably isn’t in the cards for Cleveland.

The Cleveland Browns should not have lost to the Jets last Sunday. Since 1950, teams have been 225-1 when holding opponents to 175 or fewer yards and not committing a turnover; the lone loss came last Sunday. Cleveland held New York to a measly 169 offensive yards (127 rushing yards and 42 passing yards), all while not committing a turnover, and still couldn’t win. On the surface level, this looks like just another bad loss to an inferior team, but on a deeper level, this is the death knell for Kevin Stefanski’s time in Cleveland.

As it stands now, Stefanski’s record with Cleveland is 42-51. He’s the fifth-winningest coach in Browns history, and by far the best coach the team has had since 1999. He’s also 5-21 since 2024 and wasted the prime years of Myles Garrett. David Njoku, Denzel Ward, and plenty of others. The Browns have been in a state of freefall for the majority of Stefanski’s time here, and a change in leadership is sorely needed. While it’s true that he’s achieved more success than any other Browns coach since Marty Schottenheimer in the 80s, Kevin Stefanski’s tenure as head coach of the Cleveland Browns needs to be finished by the end of this season.