The Browns were one of the first teams to fire their head coach on Black Monday, which fell on Jan. 5 this year. Finding a replacement for Kevin Stefanski is not a race as far as the decision makers in Berea are concerned. Obviously. Ten coaching vacancies opened in the days following the end of the 2025 season. The Browns, Cardinals and Raiders are still without coaches. Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Commanders run game coordinator Anthony Lynn and Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase are the four finalists to become the 11th full-time head coach of the Browns since 1999. The brain trust led by General Manager Andrew Berry and team owner Jimmy Haslam is expected to name the 11th full-time head coach of the Browns since 1999 on Jan. 28, but that is not guaranteed. Ultimately, Haslam has to decide whether to go with Schwartz, who already has the respect of the defensive players after three years as their defensive coordinator, or does he pick an offense-minded coach, since that is the side of the ball that needs the most work? Fans favor Scheelhaase, if posts on X and conversations on sports talk radio are a fair barometer, but Haslam would make a mistake if he makes a decision to appease his paying customers. Schwartz, 59, was head coach of the Lions from 2009-13. His teams were a dismal 29-51, but he has been successful as a defensive coordinator where he has been. He was the Eagles’ defensive coordinator from 2016-20 and helped them win the Super Bowl in the 2017 season. Monken is also 59. He has never been a head coach in the NFL, though he was a head coach for three years at Southern Miss from 2013-15 before being named offensive coordinator of the Buccaneers in 2016. Monken would not be a popular choice. But more importantly is whether Haslam and Berry believe he showed enough in two interviews — one of them in person — to show he can command an entire locker room and deal with all the off the field headaches that are part of being a head coach in the NFL. Lynn would not be a popular choice, either. The former running backs coach of the Browns (2007-08) was 33-31 as head coach of the San Diego Chargers from 2017-20. Lynn, 57, has coached with 10 different teams in the NFL. Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase celebrates a play during a Nov. 26, 2025, game aganist the Seahawks in Inglewood, Calif. (Kyusung Gong - The Associated Press) Scheelhaase, 35, has been an assistant with the Rams for only two seasons. He has learned under Sean McVay, regarded as one of the best offensive minds in the NFL. But whether that makes him ready to be a head coach is one thing Berry and the others are pondering. It isn’t just about the head coach, either. Berry and Haslam must decide which candidate will put together the best staff. Many of the Browns’ assistant coaches under Stefanski are still around Berea, but one that is not is offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. Rees left the Browns to be the offensive coordinator for Stefanski, the new head coach of the Falcons. ...read more read less