The latest Cleveland Browns news and notes from around the NFL in the Saturday Dawg Chow.
The Cleveland Browns continue their latest and greatest head coaching search today with an interview of Grant Udinski, who just wrapped up his first season as offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
On Friday, team officials held interviews with Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase.
Once Udinski’s interview is concluded, the Browns will have conducted at least one interview with nine candidates. That number includes in-house candidates Tommy Rees and Jim Schwartz, as well as Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher, Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.
That is a lot of names, but it points to the fact that general manager Andrew Berry is not settling for “doing whatever it takes” to hire someone just because they have a familiar name, and the list of candidates has a wide variety of experience and philosophies.
In theory, the more information they gather, the better the final choice should be. But hiring head coaches is about as unpredictable as finding a quarterback, so the odds of the Browns finding their “strong-jawed, leader of men” are probably about as equal as landing another head coach “with his nose buried in a Denny’s menu” on the sidelines.
In any event, the situation should start to come into focus next week when teams are allowed to conduct in-person interviews with coaches who are still employed.
Until then, let’s kick off the weekend with the latest edition of the Saturday Dawg Chow.
Dawgs By Nature:
- Browns head coach search: Is Grant Udinski the next Sean McVay? (Barry Shuck) – The Cleveland Browns are looking to turn over every stone in their head coach search. Can Grant Udinski be the next Sean McVay?
- Browns NFL head coach search: Matt LaFleur, Packers contract hang-up could open another door (Matthew Wilson) – Green Bay Packers head Matt LaFleur appears to be in somewhat of a contract dispute with Green Bay’s brass, centered around compensation and little details in his current deal.
- Browns head coach search: Team eliminates a candidate from their list (Tommy Rees) – Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry continues the head coach search with Jim Schwartz earning a second interview, while Tommy Rees does not.
- Browns head coaching search: Familiar face getting 2nd interview with Cleveland (Matthew Wilson) -Cleveland defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will receive a second interview with the Browns for their open head coach position.
- Browns next head coach: Play caller or CEO more valuable? (Abby Mueller) – The Cleveland Browns head coach search has a lot of candidates. Should the team focus on a CEO-type of head coach, or would a play caller be the highest value?
- Browns head coach search tracker: Updating as top candidate gets crossed off (Jared Mueller) – The Cleveland Browns head coach search is ongoing, so who are the candidates with John Harbaugh off the list?
- Browns 2026 NFL draft: Finding this year’s Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough-type QB (Matthew Wilson) – Who will be this season’s fast-rising QB prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft?
- Browns head coach interviews: 3 scheduled, 1 name noticeably missing from the list (Jared Mueller) – The Cleveland Browns head coach search marches on with 3 more interviews scheduled, including Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.
Cleveland Browns:
- Do NFL coaches perform better the second time around? (cleveland.com) – The Browns continue their search for a new head coach. Of the six interviewees, two of them hold prior head coaching experience: Mike McDaniel and Jim Schwartz. This brings us to the question of the day: do NFL coaches perform better the second time around?
- From Stefanski to Vrabel, looking back at recent NFL head coach hires (Beacon Journal) – The Browns are in the middle of another head-coaching search. It just so happens that it falls in the middle of one of the NFL’s most interesting coaching cycles in some time.
- Browns’ coaching search: Where do they stand? Should they target an offensive mind? (The Athletic) – Let’s catch up on the state of the Cleveland Browns’ coaching search: who’s on the list, whom to track, why going young is an option, and why Jim Schwartz’s status could factor in multiple ways.
- Browns Free Agency Needs & Re-Signing Decisions – Tight End (Orange and Brown Report) – The Cleveland Browns have plenty of cap space and cash to spend in free agency as well as extending their own players. Here is where the team currently stands with its tight ends.
NFL:
- Getting the right quarterback will be paramount for Steelers’ next coach (triblive.com) – As the Pittsburgh Steelers begin the process of hiring a new coach, the profile of most candidates seems similar: Another team’s defensive coordinator, in his late 30s to mid-40s, no prior NFL head coaching experience. There are exceptions, but here’s betting the job goes to a younger version of Mike Tomlin. Expectations and duties won’t likely change.
- Darnold-to-JSN gives magnetically dull Seahawks indispensable flair (ESPN) – Go ahead, call the Seattle Seahawks boring. They’ll thank you for it.
- The big implications of Dante Moore’s surprising decision (The Ringer) – Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is returning to school instead of entering the NFL draft, a move that could signal yet another significant shift in both the college football landscape and how the NFL evaluates quarterbacks
Category: General Sports
