The Cleveland Browns held their first wave of coaching interviews following this week’s firing of Kevin Stefanski, but the next wave is likely to be the one that grabs headlines. That’s because the Browns have an interest in bringing in big name ex-coaches, according to reports, starting with John Harbaugh, formerly of the Ravens, and including ex-Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel.
Harbaugh has the lengthiest resume of any coach the Browns have on their collective minds, with a 180-113 record, a 13-11 playoff record and a Super Bowl XLVII ring.
He is also reported, by Cleveland’s own Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland, to be seeking a massive payout on his next deal, worth $20 million per year, with a $10 million budget for his assistant coaches. That would put Harbaugh in the range of the Chiefs’ Andy Reid as the highest paid coach in the NFL.
But while many may question whether the Browns should give such a massive contract to a coach who was 8-9 this season and whose Super Bowl triumph was 12 years ago, prominent veteran Cleveland journalist Terry Pluto flips that script: Why would Harbaugh want any contract from the Browns?
‘Why in Heaven’s Name Would John Harbaugh Come to Cleveland?’
It’s a fair point, considering that the Browns do not have a clear path to a known commodity at quarterback, where other openings–most notably the Giants, who are also reported to have an interest in Harbaugh, have Jaxson Dart on hand. Dart threw for 2,272 yards in his 14 games–only 12 were starts–and had 15 touchdowns with just five interceptions.
He finished with a Pro Football Focus grade of 68.2, which was only 30th out of 42 quarterbacks this season, but that’s not bad for a rookie. No. 40 and 41 on that list were, respectively, the Browns’ own Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
That’s where Pluto dropped in his reality check.
“Harbaugh, when you’re 63, and I could speak to this, when you start to get older and you realize, you know, time is against you, this, the moves you make, the things you do, you don’t have a lot of time to zig-zag. You want to go to the right destination. And why in heaven’s name would John Harbaugh come to Cleveland?” Pluto said on his “Terry’s Talkin’” podcast.
GettyCleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is looking for a new head coach.
Browns Interview 4 Head Coach Candidates
For the Browns, McDaniel, too, could be out of reach, as he is slated to interview with the Titans for their head-coaching job, which features 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward. McDaniel also has the option of going to the Lions as the offensive coordinator, where he could rebuild his value and land a different gig down the road.
As it stands, the Browns have finished two outside candidate interviews with Seahawks defensive coordinator Arden Durde and Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher. They’ve interviewed in-house candidate Tommy Rees, the offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
According to reports, the Browns have requests out, too, for Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, but there is no official word yet on their potential interview dates.
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