Browns fire two-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski
The Cleveland Browns have relieved head coach Kevin Stefanski of his duties after a 5-12 record in the 2025 NFL season, ending his six-year tenure with the team.
Stefanski, who earned NFL Coach of the Year honors in 2020 and 2023, led the team to two 11-win seasons (2020 and 2023) and two playoff appearances, including a wild-card victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020, but ultimately finished with a 45-56 overall record, having seen his team go 3-14 in 2024 and 5-12 in 2025.
Managing partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, along with Executive VP of Football Operations Andrew Berry, stated that the decision followed “unsatisfactory results over the last two seasons.”, noting Stefanski’s positive impact but emphasised the need to build a winning program. Berry will lead the search for a replacement, focusing on roster development and strategic investments.
In his statement, Stefanski expressed thanks to the Haslams, Berry, players, staff, and fans, describing the experience as an “incredible journey.” The team owes Stefanski a $7 million buyout from his contract extension through 2027.
During his time in Cleveland, Stefanski had initially ignited progress for the long-irrelevant Browns behind quarterback Baker Mayfield, before disaster ensued when Cleveland traded for former Houston Texans Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson, handing him a five-year $230m extension in 2022. Watson had sat out the entire 2021 campaign amid allegations of sexual harassment, before missing the first 11 games of the 2022 campaign through suspension.
Subsequently, injuries and poor performance limited Deshaun Watson to only 13 appearances across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, leaving the Browns to regret the quarterback trade that Haslam later described as a “big swing and a miss.”
The team secured an unexpected playoff spot in 2023 with Joe Flacco at quarterback, bolstered by a defense led by Myles Garrett that regularly topped league rankings. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz kept that defensive strength intact for the following two years, but additional quarterback issues surfaced in 2025 when Stefanski experimented and rotated between Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
This is the seocnd head coaching change announced on Black Monday, following Raheem Morris being sacked by the Altanta Falcons. The Titans and Giants are the other two teams now without a head coach.
Stefanski, 43, is expected to attract interest from other teams.
