The Cleveland Browns are back in the head coaching market, which is a familiar sight for the franchise.
The Browns fired head coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons, but Cleveland had six different head coaches over seven years before Stefanski.
Who Does Adam Schefter Think the Browns Will Hire As Their Next Head Coach?
With the Browns searching for the next answer, ESPN’s Adam Schefter gave three names on Friday that seem to be the Browns’ top choices. The Browns have interviewed nine candidates for their head coaching opening.
On Friday, Schefter joined the “Pat McAfee Show” and gave three candidates he believes are the main choices for the Browns at this point.
“It seems like the Browns are looking at one of these young offensive minds, whether that’s the Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, or the Rams passing coordinator Nate Scheelhaase or Jim Schwartz,” Schefter said. “I think that that’s something they’re going to be looking at strongly.”
“It seems like the Browns are looking at Grant Udinski and Nathan Scheelhaase..
I still think they’re gonna be looking strongly at Jim Schwartz” ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/0wSzQht5Nk
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 23, 2026
Udinski and Scheelhaase are the young, exciting candidates, and Schwartz brings the veteran experience. The Jaguars’ offensive coordinator is just 30 years old and in his sixth season in the NFL. Udinski began his coaching career at Baylor as a graduate assistant in 2019, then joined the Carolina Panthers as a coaching assistant in 2020.
He quickly worked his way up the ranks in the NFL to become the Jaguars’ OC in 2025. Jacksonville improved from the 26th-ranked scoring offense in 2024 to the 6th-best in 2025 under Udinski.
Scheelhaase is 35 years old but has only 2 years of NFL experience. He worked his way through the college ranks at Illinois and Iowa State before the Rams hired him as an offensive assistant and passing game specialist in 2024.
In 2025, Scheelhaase was promoted to the pass game coordinator, and the Rams led the NFL in passing yards per game. Then there’s Schwartz, who’s been in coaching since 1989. The 59-year-old veteran has been in the NFL since 1992, when he served as a Browns scout for 3 years.
Schwartz has been the Browns’ defensive coordinator for the last three years, leading a group that’s ranked in the top 4 in yards per game allowed in two of the last three seasons.
“If you want to keep that defense – the continuity of it – you can’t hire another defensive coach. You got to hire Jim Schwartz and he’s got to be the head coach,” Schefter said. “And these young offensive-minded head coaches, it’s up to the Browns to see when and if they’re ready.”
“So to me, that’s the Browns’ choices: one of these young offensive minds or Jim Schwartz.”
Udinski or Scheelhaase seem like the exciting options for Cleveland, but Schwartz seems like the stable option. Plus, the Browns want to keep seeing defensive lineman Myles Garrett play at the top of his game. The Browns completed second-round interviews with Schwartz and Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken this week.
