Browns Fire Stefanski After Failure: Berry Stays, Who Will Be the New HC?

Changes in Cleveland: Kevin Stefanski is Fired by the Browns

In a surprising move, the Cleveland Browns have announced the firing of their head coach, Kevin Stefanski, after six seasons at the helm of the team. The news was confirmed this Monday, marking the end of an era for the franchise. The decision comes after a disappointing 2025 season for the Browns, who finished with a 5-12 record, leading them to a second consecutive last-place finish in the AFC North. Furthermore, this season marked the fourth losing campaign under Stefanski’s leadership.

“We have tremendous gratitude for Kevin’s leadership on the Cleveland Browns over the past six seasons,” Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said in a statement. “He is a good football coach and an even better person. We appreciate all his hard work and dedication to our organization, but our results in the last two seasons have not been satisfactory, and we believe a change at the head coach position is necessary.”

Jimmy and Dee Haslam, Browns owners

Despite Stefanski’s dismissal, General Manager Andrew Berry, who arrived in Cleveland along with Stefanski in 2020, will remain in his position. The Haslams emphasized that the main focus is to build a successful team and that the necessary resources will be invested to achieve it. Jimmy Haslam commented that the decision to fire Stefanski was not based on a specific “breaking point,” but on the perception that it was “time for a change” for the organization. He also clarified that they do not have a preference regarding the offensive or defensive background of the next coach. Stefanski’s exit comes two seasons after he won his second NFL Coach of the Year award and less than two years after receiving a contract extension. Between 2020 and 2023, Stefanski led the Browns to two playoff appearances and achieved the highest winning percentage (.552) for the team in a four-year period since 1986-89. In a statement, Stefanski expressed his gratitude for the time he spent in Cleveland: “After six seasons as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, I am leaving with an immense feeling of gratitude. When I arrived in January 2020, this organization, this community, and the Browns fans welcomed me and my family with open arms. I cannot adequately express in words how well they have treated us.” Stefanski compiled a regular season record of 45-56 and guided Cleveland to the playoffs in 2020 and 2023. He won his first Coach of the Year award in 2020, after a season in which the Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild card round, the franchise’s first postseason victory since 1994. Stefanski was unable to be on the sideline for that game due to a positive COVID-19 test. His second Coach of the Year award was for leading Cleveland back to the playoffs in 2023, despite numerous injuries that forced the team to use five different quarterbacks. The Browns’ next head coach will be the eleventh since 1999. Stefanski’s departure is the second high-profile exit from the organization in recent months, after Paul DePodesta, who served as the team’s chief strategy officer for nearly a decade, left the team in November. Berry highlighted Stefanski’s impact in a statement: “This was a difficult decision and today is a tough day for our organization because of the impact Kevin has had and the deep and meaningful relationships he has built throughout the building. We have great respect for Kevin, who has led our organization through unique and challenging circumstances during his six seasons. During that time, he has been more than a coach, but also a partner, friend, and stabilizing force for our team.” The Browns’ offense, which was expected to be Stefanski’s hallmark as the play-caller, has struggled in recent seasons. The team scored fewer than 20 points in 11 games this season, tying for the most in the league. After the Week 9 bye, Stefanski announced that he would hand over offensive play-calling responsibilities to offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, marking the second consecutive year he relinquished that function. The Browns used three different quarterbacks as starters in 2025: Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Flacco, who helped lead Cleveland to the playoffs in the 2023 season, started the first four games, but was benched after a 1-3 start and was then traded to the Cincinnati Bengals on October 7. Gabriel, a third-round selection, started six straight games until he suffered a concussion against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11, which paved the way for Sanders, a fifth-round selection, to make his first start. Sanders started the final seven games of the season. Deshaun Watson, for whom the Browns traded three first-round picks with the Houston Texans and gave him a fully guaranteed contract of $230 million in March 2022, did not play in 2025 after suffering a rupture of the right Achilles tendon in Week 7 of last season. He underwent a second surgery in January after re-rupturing his Achilles tendon and spent the first 13 weeks of this season on the physically unable to play list. The Browns designated Watson to return to practice on December 3, but decided not to activate him on the 53-man roster at the end of his 21-day practice period. Sources around the league reported that the Browns plan to have 30-year-old Watson on the roster in 2026. Watson has one more year on his contract and a salary cap hit of $80.7 million in 2026, the largest in the NFL.