What is one tangible attribute that suggests Kevin Stefanski will be a successful NFL head coach? He’s Ivy League educated. Paul DePodesta wanted to hire him last year instead of Freddie Kitchens. He’ll supposedly agree with hiring Andrew Berry, a former Browns executive now Philadelphia’s Vice President of Football Operations, as G.M. DePodesta, Stefanski, and Berry, in theory, will synergize the business, football, and coaching branches in Cleveland. I’ll ask again. What points to Stefanski having the skills and experience needed to be a successful head coach in Cleveland?
Jimmy Haslam still sits atop the organizational chart. Synergy is an excellent goal and one that all good businesses strive for. But Jimmy Haslam remains. Who will pay for the next slow start, or disappointing season? DePodesta put this together; he’ll be next on the chopping block. How long will his leash be?
Patience in this situation is paramount. First time head coaches need a long leash. Kevin Stefanski is a 37-year-old who has run an NFL offense for 20 games. He’s never been in charge of running a training camp. He’s interviewed with the media sporadically, not forced to sit in front of a microphone multiple times per week. Stefanski hasn’t experienced game day on an NFL sideline in charge of calling plays, challenging bad calls, and managing the game clock. He will make mistakes. A lot of them.
Will the fan base, media, front office, and players have the patience to allow him to fail? With Baker Mayfield, Odell Beckham, Nick Chubb, Jarvis Landry, and Myles Garrett on the roster, tolerance for losing is low. Twenty years of futility and the remnants of a disappointing 6-10 season are all Browns fans have. Will an 8-8 record be good enough to appease the starved fan base?
The patience required to tear down a dysfunctional organization and rebuild it in a manner conducive to consistent winning does not exist. The wounds are too raw; the thirst for wins too present. Kevin Stefanski has to win now, and he has to win big. Baker Mayfield has to become a Pro Bowl quarterback next year under his watch. Nick Chubb needs 275-300 carries, 1500 yards, and 12 touchdowns. Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry both tallied 1000 yards receiving in down years. The sky is back to being the limit for one of the best wide receiver duos in the league.
They set Kevin Stefanski up to fail. While the organization tries to align all entities, history says the synergy won’t last long. What happens when a disagreement occurs in the draft room? Differing opinions over a free agent? Will the new three-headed decision making body hold hands and do what is best for the Cleveland Browns, or will they do what is best for themselves? Who will Haslam side with once the discord begins? Will he calm the waters once things get choppy? Or will he promote more backstabbing and power hording? Haslam likes the ego stroking that comes with infighting and inter-office politicking. No evidence suggests he has the leadership skills or discipline to create an environment free of this toxicity.
Haslam has proven in the past to be gullible and easily swayed by the last person he’s talked to. DePodesta won this power struggle against John Dorsey, but he’s put himself in the guillotine. Haslam won’t blame himself, won’t step back and let this simmer, and won’t fire another head coach after one year (don’t bet on it!). Any rumblings of discord, or a three game losing streak, or a perceived lack of readiness now rests in DePodesta’s lap. Is this organization now structured to withstand the minor potholes that become road blocks?
What proof is there that Kevin Stefanski can coach an NFL team? There is none. This organization needed a resolute, stable leader who’d been through the fires surrounded by successful people in a winning organization. The franchise needed a shape shifter at its second most important position, someone who knows winning and how to dominate opponents. Another first-year head coach, a roll of the dice, is a recipe for more failure. The best argument for the hire seems to be, “Other lightly regarded candidates have won before, let’s wait and see.” This organization has not earned “wait and see” status.
The Minnesota Vikings have been more successful than the Browns, but they have won nothing of consequence. Mike Zimmer has been their head coach since 2014. They’ve made the playoffs three times and won 2 playoff games, one on a fluke play. The Vikings are always good. Does anyone see greatness from the organization or coaching staff? What schemes or structures are considered innovative? Stefanski had help running their offense, Zimmer didn’t trust him on his own. How much credit should Gary Kubiak get for Minnesota’s offense this year? What did the Vikings do better than anyone else in the league? Who has left and been great anywhere else?
The Browns franchise no longer gets the benefit of the doubt. They’ve proved unable to make even the most basic decisions to field a competent team. It is possible that if you throw enough darts, you’ll eventually hit a bullseye. Even if Kevin Stefanski has the abilities needed to be a successful head coach, however, it is unlikely the environment in Cleveland will allow him to blossom. Good organizations with strong ownership and defined leadership can afford to hire unproven coordinators with strong upside. Unfortunately for Browns’ fans, the one in Berea cannot.
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