Todd Monken brings former Buccaneers assistant onto Browns staff

The Cleveland Browns have a new man in charge for 2026. Cleveland hired Todd Monken in recent days to be its next coach, after parting ways with Kevin Stefanski. Monken is filling out his new staff.

Monken hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant Mike Bajakian to be the team’s next quarterbacks coach, per ESPN. Bajakian and Monken worked together as assistants for a few years in Tampa Bay, from 2016-2018.

Monken has never been a head coach in the NFL. He worked briefly as a college football head coach at Southern Miss. Monken was previously the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens under John Harbaugh.

Stefanksi soon found a new coaching job after leaving the Browns. He is now head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

Todd Monken is getting a shot to lead the Browns

Monken’s job will be to lead Cleveland back to the NFL Playoffs, and hopefully a Super Bowl. An offensive-minded head coach, Monken will have some young quarterbacks to work with including Shedeur Sanders.

The new coach also has a ringing endorsement from team leadership.

“Todd is highly intelligent, and his experienced, innovative offensive mindset has been at the forefront of constructing productive and successful offenses at the NFL and collegiate level over the last 20 years,” team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said in a statement, per The Athletic. “He is an outstanding leader and has a clear vision to lead our team as a strong communicator who values trust with his players, but also accountability and preparation.”

Monken got the Browns job over several other candidates, including team defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.

“Todd has a varied and diverse background that we found as a particularly appealing match for our team at this stage in its life cycle,” general manager Andrew Berry said in a statement. “He has a direct, demanding and detail-oriented leadership style that will create a great incubator for a young team. His successful offensive track record at both the pro and college level with a variety of offensive systems and QB skill sets will allow maximum flexibility as we make several, long-term investments on that side of the ball.

“The lessons he learned from John Harbaugh and Kirby Smart, as well as his demonstrated track record turning around Southern Miss, have shown us that he has a full understanding of what the position requires and the capacity to execute.”

The Browns finished the 2025 season with a 5-12 record.

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