Former Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is the latest coach the Browns want to interview for their OC vacancy.
Kevin Stefanski expands search for offensive coordinator and requests two new interviews
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Takeaways from Browns and NFL coaching news …
1. The Browns requested interviews with two more offensive coordinator candidates who lost their jobs in the new hiring cycle – Kellen Moore of the Chargers and Brian Johnson of the Eagles.
Moore has been a play-caller for the past five seasons, four with the Cowboys and last year with the Chargers.
The Cowboys ranked in the top six in scoring in three of Moore’s four seasons in charge of the offense. Dallas coach Mike McCarthy and Moore mutually parted ways after 2022, as McCarthy wanted to run the ball more. Moore’s one season with the Chargers was marred by quarterback Justin Herbert’s season-ending hand injury in Week 14.
Moore received an interview with the Eagles on Thursday. Coach Nick Sirianni publicly has stated his next offensive coordinator will call plays, so it’s likely that Kevin Stefanski would have to cede that responsibility to Moore if he wanted to hire him.
Johnson was fired after one year as Eagles coordinator. He won acclaim for developing Jalen Hurts into an MVP candidate as Eagles QB coach in Sirianni’s first two seasons as Eagles coach. But Hurts and the offense took a giant step back in 2023, costing Johnson his job.
Johnson played quarterback four years at Utah and began his coaching career at his alma mater. He was QB coach at Mississippi State, and coordinator at Houston and Florida before joining Sirianni as QB and receiver coach in 2021.
2. Here are the coaches interviewed or requested by the Browns to succeed fired coordinator Alex Van Pelt:
* Andy Dickerson, most recently Seahawks offensive line coach and run game coordinator. Age: 41.
* Ken Dorsey, most recently Bills offensive coordinator. Age: 42.
* Jerrod Johnson, Texans quarterbacks coach. Age: 35.
* Kellen Moore, most recently Chargers offensive coordinator: Age: 35.
* Brian Johnson, most recently Eagles offensive coordinator. Age: 36.
Van Pelt is 53. Obviously, Stefanski wants a younger coach, someone brought up in the most modern offenses in the NFL.
3. Here are the head coach changes so far in the 2024 NFL hiring cycle:
* Patriots: Bill Belichick, 71, out; Jerod Mayo, 37, in.
* Raiders: Josh McDaniels, 47, out; Antonio Pierce, 45, in.
* Titans: Mike Vrabel, 48, out; Brian Callahan, 39, in.
* Chargers: Brandon Staley, 41; out, Jim Harbaugh, 60, in.
* Panthers: Frank Reich, 62, out; Dave Canales, 42, in.
* Falcons: Arthur Smith, 41, out; Raheem Morris, 47, in.
To be determined:
* Commanders: Ron Rivera, 62, out.
* Seahawks: Pete Carroll, 72, out.
Average age of coaches out: 55.5.
Average age of coaches in: 45.0.
4. Four of the eight vacancies have been filled by minority candidates – Mayo, Pierce and Morris (African-American), and Canales (Mexican descent).
They join Houston’s DeMeco Ryans, Miami’s Mike McDaniel (mixed), the Jets’ Robert Saleh (Lebanese), Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, and Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles to bring to nine the number of minorities holding NFL head coach positions.
With two more vacancies to be filled, nine minority head coaches would surpass the record of seven in the NFL set in 2006 and 2017-18.
Diversifying the head coach pool, along with team executive positions and coordinator positions, has been a directive of the NFL amid pressure from the Fritz Pollard Alliance and other organizations.
In 2022, former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores sued the league and three teams for discriminatory practices, charging the NFL was “rife with racism.”
In July, a federal judge ruled Flores’ complaints should go to trial and not be arbitrated by Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Flores is now defensive coordinator with the Vikings.
5. The Associated Press announced the five finalists for their 2023 NFL awards. The Browns have candidates in four of the eight major awards:
Myles Garrett is up for defensive player of the year, along with cornerback DaRon Bland of the Cowboys, defensive end Maxx Crosby of the Raiders, edge rusher Micah Parsons of the Cowboys and edge rusher T.J. Watt of the Steelers.
Kevin Stefanski is up for coach of the year, along with Dan Campbell of the Lions, John Harbaugh of the Ravens, DeMeco Ryans of the Texans, and Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers.
Jim Schwatz is up for assistant coach of the year, along with Ben Johnson of the Lions, Mike Macdonald of the Ravens, Todd Monken of the Ravens, and Bobby Slowik of the Texans.
Joe Flacco is up for comeback player of the year, along with Damar Hamlin of the Ravens, Baker Mayfield of the Buccaneers, Matthew Stafford of the Rams, and Tua Tagovailoa of the Dolphins.
The Professional Football Writers of America already announced Garrett as its defensive player of the year.
The organization also named Ryans coach of the year and Macdonald assistant coach of the year.
The AP awards are considered the major awards and are announced on the NFL Honors program on February 7, the Thursday before the Super Bowl.
The AP awards are voted on by a committee of 50 media members, which include writers and broadcasters.
The PFWA awards are voted on by full membership of more than 150 members.
Many media members have votes in both organizations’ ballotting.
For the record, I vote only on PFWA awards. I voted for Garrett, Stefanski and Schwartz, but not Flacco.
