Report: Kevin Stefanski would be ‘desirable’ HC option if fired by Browns

Kevin Stefanski has been the longtime head coach of the Cleveland Browns, but he could be out of a job before long. The last two seasons of his Browns tenure have gone woefully. After he coached them to a 3-14 record in the 2024 season, they’ve been almost as bad so far in the 2025 season at 3-10.

If the Browns do opt to part ways with him sooner rather than later, one report suggests he might not have too much trouble finding another job in the league’s coaching ranks. Reportedly, Stefanski would be a “desirable” head-coaching candidate on the open market in such a scenario.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano noted that the 43-year-old is “well-liked and well-regarded around the league.”

“OK, let me explain,” Graziano wrote after including Stefanski as a wild card candidate to be hired during the upcoming head-coaching cycle. “I feel pretty confident that Stefanski will be the head coach of an NFL team in 2026. That team might be the Browns. We do not know whether Cleveland is interested in letting him go. But I’m mentioning him because, if the Browns let him go, I have been told by several people connected with these situations that Stefanski would jump to the front of the list of desirable candidates. He would have a strong chance to hop from one head coach job to the next in short order, similar to what Andy Reid did when his tenure in Philadelphia ended.

“Stefanski is well-liked and well-regarded around the league, and the perception is that the Deshaun Watson situation and the quarterback mess that has ensued aren’t his fault. Again, it’s possible — likely, even — that the Browns feel the same way and decide they don’t want to lose him. However, if they move on, I’d rank him near the top of this list.”

Stefanski has been patrolling the sidelines for the Browns dating back to the 2020 season, and he’s coached Cleveland to a regular-season record of 43-54 in that span.

During his tenure, he has helped the Browns to a pair of playoff appearances (in the 2020 and 2023 campaigns). The team’s berth in the 2020 season in particular was a milestone for the franchise. Before then, Cleveland hadn’t qualified for the playoffs since all the way back in the 2002 campaign.

However, it seems like a long time ago that the Browns were winning games under Stefanski, and they’ve been one of the worst teams in football for a little while now. Putting points on the board has been a challenge for Stefanski’s club all season long, as the Browns are scoring just 17.2 points per game this season.

Only three offenses in all of football have been worse on a game-to-game basis. Still, some context should be considered, as the Browns aren’t exactly overflowing with talent.

While Graziano didn’t specify which teams might be interested in hiring Stefanski if his days leading the Browns are numbered, the only two teams with head-coaching vacancies right now are the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans. More jobs are likely to open up at some point during this cycle.