Todd Monken's staff of 28 assistant coaches includes several associates from previous jobs and his son Travis. (TheLandOnDemand)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns and NFL analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
When I first started covering the Browns in 1984, head coach Sam Rutigliano employed a staff of nine assistant coaches.
And I distinctly remember owner Art Modell bemoaning, “When Blanton Collier won the NFL Championship in 1964, he had five assistant coaches.” Twenty years later, four more coaches on the payroll bothered Modell.
Well, the Browns announced Todd Monken’s completed coaching staff on Tuesday and it included a staggering 28 assistant coaches.
And that doesn’t include a separate staff of seven strength and conditioning coaches and nutritionists.
Former coach Kevin Stefanski had 22 assistant coaches in his last season of 2025.
Monken was one of 10 head coaches added in the 2026 NFL hiring cycle. His staff of 28 only ties for second for the largest staffs in the NFL. Baltimore’s Jesse Minter reigns supreme with 29 assistants.
Coaching staffs are like player contracts. They get exceeded each year. Which means next year’s hiring cycle probably will premier the league’s first 30-member assistant coach staff.
Here’s the scorecard of the other new NFL coaching staff hires in 2026:
Klint Kubiak, Raiders: 28 assistant coaches.
John Harbaugh, Giants: 27 assistant coaches.
Jeff Hafley, Dolphins: 25 assistant coaches.
Joe Brady, Bills: 24 assistant coaches.
Robert Saleh, Titans: 22 assistant coaches.
Kevin Stefanski, Falcons: 21 assistant coaches.
Mike McCarthy, Steelers: 21 assistant coaches.
Mike LaFleur, Cardinals: 21 assistant coaches.
“The closer you are to an elite staff, the more you have guys that are not only developers but are also schemers,” Monken said in a team release announcing the completed staff. “You either got to be an elite developer or an elite schemer. And the more guys you have that are elite at developing and scheming, the better you're going to be.”
Here’s a rundown of Monken’s staff of 28:
Chief of staff: John Carr
He was director of football operations at Southern Mississippi when Monken was head coach from 2013-15.
Offensive coordinator: Travis Switzer
A 39-game starter at center for Akron from 2011-14, he spent the past nine years with the Baltimore Ravens, the last two as run game coordinator while Monken was offensive coordinator.
Pass game coordinator: Danny Breyer
He was an offensive assistant with the Ravens during Monken’s three years, working closely with tight ends.
Run game coordinator/tight ends coach: Jeff Blasko
He was Browns assistant offensive line coach in 2019 when Monken was offensive coordinator. He also worked with the Jets and Cowboys.
Offensive line coach: George Warhop
He’s been a line coach with nine teams, including twice now with the Browns. He worked with Monken the last two years with the Ravens and previously with the Buccaneers (2016-18).
Assistant offensive line coach: Bobby Johnson
An Akron native, his latest of nine NFL stops was offensive line coach with the Washington Commanders.
Quarterbacks coach: Mike Bajakian
He left Michigan State to rejoin Monken. They worked together with the Buccaneers.
Assistant quarterbacks coach: Matt Baker
A former QB coach and offensive coordinator at John Carroll, he’s worked with the Falcons and the Steelers.
Wide receivers coach: Christian Jones
One of four Stefanski offensive assistants retained, he was Browns tight ends coach last year.
Assistant wide receivers coach: John Wozniak
He worked with Monken at Oklahoma State, LSU and Mississippi State. This is his first job in the NFL.
Running backs coach: Duce Staley
He survived the coaching change and is in his third season with the Browns.
Offensive quality control coach: Ian Kolste
He was a coaching fellow with the Ravens the last two years with Monken.
Offensive assistant/offensive line coach: Sanders Davis
He was brought to the Browns last year by former offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren. He was Bloomgren’s offensive line coach at Rice University.
Offensive analyst: Travis Monken
Son of Todd, he was an analyst the past two years at Purdue and was student assistant at Oklahoma State.
Offensive analyst: Dom Borsani
He started with the Browns in 2023 as a football research analyst and moved last year to coaching analyst.
Defensive coordinator: Mike Rutenberg
A protégé of Robert Saleh, he was pass game coordinator with the Falcons last year.
Run game coordinator/linebackers coach: Jason Tarver
He received a promotion after being passed over for the DC job. He was Stefanski’s original linebackers coach in 2020.
Pass game coordinator: Ephraim Banda
He interviewed for multiple DC jobs and stayed on in a promoted role after serving as Browns safeties coach since 2023.
Defensive line coach: Jacques Cesaire
He was retained at the position he’s held since 2024.
Assistant defensive line coach: Ralph Street
His first NFL job comes after nine years in the college ranks at Prairie View A&M and Marshall University.
Defensive backs coach/pass game specialist: Brandon Lynch
Another member of Stefanski’s first staff in 2020, he received a promotion after coaching cornerbacks the past three years.
Senior defensive assistant: Dom Capers
Former head coach with the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans, this will be his sixth stint in seven years as a senior defensive assistant.
Defensive assistant/nickelbacks coach: Jeff Anderson
He was promoted after serving as Browns defensive quality control coach since 2022.
Defensive assistant/assistant linebackers coach: Zach Dunn
He’s been a defensive assistant since a member of Stefanski’s original staff in 2020.
Defensive quality control coach: Paul Worrilow
A former NFL linebacker, he most recently was a volunteer assistant at the University of Delaware.
Defensive analyst: Shaq Wilson
He worked with the Jets in 2023-24 and was a scouting intern with the Buccaneers one summer when Monken was offensive coordinator.
Special teams coordinator: Byron Storer
A former NFL fullback, he’s been an assistant special teams coach with the Bucs, Chargers, Raiders and most recently Packers.
Assistant special teams coach: Keith Tandy
A former NFL safety, he’s been with the Bucs since 2020 as assistant special teams coach.
That’s a lot of titles. Which brings up another classic Modell line.
“We have a lot of titles,” he once said of Marty Schottenheimer’s coaching staff in the 1980s, “but no championships.”