Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator from 2016 through the 2018 season. The Bucs had a lot of success on offense under Monken, but things went sideways and the two parted ways.
Now that Monken is a head coach for the first time in his NFL career, he got a chance to reflect on the team that gave him his first real chance at calling plays in the NFL.
“I wouldn’t be where I’m at without Dirk Koetter, who was the head coach there,” admitted Monken. “He gave me the opportunity to call plays in ’18, and that changed my track forever.”
Monken gave a lot of credit to Koetter for being where he is now. However, he also noted that he still enjoys catching up with people in the front office that he sees around the NFL. From General Manager Jason Licht to other personnel and front office members, Monken listed off friends that he made in Tampa Bay.
“I consider people in the front office friends of mine,” said Monken. “We just didn’t win enough, but I really enjoyed it there; I grew as a coach.”
The Bucs went 19-29 during the time that Monken was with the Buccaneers.
Cleveland Browns HC Todd Monken Opens up on Time with Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs went 9-7 in the first year that Monken was the offensive coordinator for Tampa Bay. However, as Monken noted, he was not calling plays. Was under an offensive-minded head coach who called the plays.
The team went 5-11 in the second year that Monken worked under Koetter. So, Koetter handed the playcalling to Monken. The offense thrived under Monken, but the defense let them down. They went 5-11 again and cleaned house.
Todd Monken Started With Buccaneers
Monken was hired from the college ranks. He was the Southern Miss head coach from 2016 through 2018 and was the Oklahoma State offensive coordinator before that. He was known for a high-flying offense, and the Bucs gave him a chance in the NFL in 2016.
After his stint with Tampa Bay, he was hired by Freddie Kitchens to be the offensive coordinator for Baker Mayfield with the Cleveland Browns. Now, Monken will face Mayfield against his old team.
Monken lasted just one year in Cleveland. Then, he went back to college as the Georgia offensive coordinator. He stayed from 2020 through 2022.
In 2023, he was hired as the Baltimore Ravens‘ offensive coordinator. He coached Lamar Jackson from 2023 through 2025, but when John Harbaugh resigned, the team moved on from Monken.
Now, he is back with the Cleveland Browns as their head coach. Monken is 60 years old, and got his first stint as a head coach in the NFL. His team lost 34-10 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1.
Browns HC Gets Candid About Time With Buccaneers