As of now, the Cleveland Browns are putting together an offbeat list of potential coaching candidates to take over the team after having fired Kevin Stefanski on Monday. Many were surprise that Stefanski was ousted while the Browns, late in the season, indicated they would keep general manager Andrew Berry, whose disastrous trade for Deshaun Watson is the primary reason the team was 8-26 in the past two seasons.
But Berry will be in charge as the team picks its next coach, and one of the first candidates the Browns will seek to interview is someone Berry has ties to going back to his days with the Colts more than a decade ago: Dan Pitcher, the young offensive coordinator for the Bengals.
Pitcher is only 38, and turns 39 next Tuesday. He played at SUNY Cortland and was hired by Berry as a 25-year-old in 2012 to work in the Colts’ scouting department. He’s been with the Bengals since 2016, moving up to quarterbacks coach and then, in 2024, taking over as OC.
As Dianna Russini of The Athletic wrote on Twitter/X: “The Browns have requested to interview Bengals OC Dan Pitcher for their head-coaching vacancy, per source.”
Browns Have List of 5 Potential Kevin Stefanski Replacements
That brings the current tally of potential new Browns coaches to five, including in-house candidates offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. There has been speculation that the Browns will do what they can to keep Schwartz in place the DC, given that he has done such an impressive job developing that side of the ball. Reports say that Schwartz is under contract for 2026.
In addition to Pitcher, the Browns have also sought to speak with Seahawks defensive coordinator Arden Durde and Ravens OC Todd Monken.
Pitcher, according to Browns reporter Tony Grossi of 850 in Cleveland, has some juice behind him. Wrote Grossi on Twitter/X: “Source: Dan Pitcher gaining traction as Browns HC candidate. Interview looming.”
Dan Pitcher Has Connections With Andrew Berry
And it helps that Pitcher and Berry do have a connection, even if it is an old and relatively brief one. Berry spoke about the “partnership” between a coach and a GM when he met with reporters on Monday.
“When you hire a head coach, it’s someone who has to be able to lead your players, lead your staff, lead the organization, lead through hardship and lead through crisis,” Berry said. “And NFL years, they’re like dog years. They’re really difficult seasons. And that’ll be at the forefront because it’s first and foremost a leadership position.
“And then when I say partnership, head coach, GM relationship is a lot like a marriage. And you have to work side by side and fight back to back. And I think that’s really, really important because you have to be aligned in terms of how you’re positioning the team.”
GettyCleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry
Kevin Stefanski Has Options After Browns Firing
Adding to the intrigue of this Browns hire is the fact that Stefanski, of course, had made two playoff appearances, the first for the franchise since 2002, in his six years with the team. Now, he is expected to get another head-coaching job, perhaps in this cycle. He reportedly has interviews with the Giants and Titans on his docket and has been floated as a replacement for Matt LaFleur should the Packers flop in the playoffs.
That could put a little extra pressure on what Cleveland does–if their new hire struggles while Stefanski flourishes, the optics won’t be great for an organization that is already lacking in good optics.
Browns Potential 38-Year-Old Coach ‘Gaining Traction’ to Replace Kevin Stefanski