What former Browns coach has some things in common with Kevin Stefanski? – Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Is Kevin Stefanski the next Marty Schottenheimer?

Probably not, given Schottenheimer’s long and successful coaching career. Or the fact Schottenheimer took the Browns to the playoffs in all four of his full seasons as head coach in Cleveland.

But Stefanski is the first Browns coach to have two winning seasons since Schottenheimer (1984-88).

Think about that.

Schottenheimer departed following a feud with owner Art Modell. He had a 10-6 record. That was the Don Strock year when they went through four different QBs. Actually, only three of them won games: Bernie Kosar, Mike Pagel and Strock. Gary Danielson lost his only start.

Schottenheimer should have been in line for a contract extension. Instead, a frustrated Modell pushed for Scottenheimer to make some changes to his coaching staff. In some cases, that wasn’t a bad idea.

But more of an issue was the Browns’ inability to reach the Super Bowl. I wrote a lot about this breakup in my book, Vintage Browns. It’s a long story about a clash of egos and a lack of appreciation for Schottenheimer from ownership and some of the fan base.

The end of Schottenheimer’s tenure was much like what we see today with Stefanski. When the Browns won, the perception – at least in a sizable part of the fan base — was they did it despite the head coach.

IT’S BEEN HOW MANY COACHES?

The Browns have been through 15 head coaches from Schottenheimer to Stefanski. Fourteen of them failed to have more than one winning season.

In fact, only Bud Carson (1989), Bill Belichick (1994), Butch Davis (2002), Romeo Crennel (2007) and Gregg Williams (2018) even had one winning season.

Stefanski was 11-5 in 2020, his rookie season as a head coach. Then came records of 8-9 and 7-10. GM Andrew Berry and ownership stuck with Stefanski for 2023.

Hard to remember now, but there were stories about how oddsmakers had Stefanski listed as one of the favorites to be fired this season. Now, he’s on the list as a Coach of the Year candidate.

I keep looking at the names of the Browns coaches between Schottenheimer and Stefanski. Only one (Belichick) had success as a head coach later.

After having a 9-23 record with the Browns in 2011-12, Pat Shurmur later was given a chance to be the head coach of the Giants (2018-19). He did it again … a 9-23 record.

Romeo Crennel had short tenures as a head coach with Kansas City and Houston, lots of losses.

IS STEFANSKI A GOOD HEAD COACH?

Fans and media members tend to show more patience with young players than they do inexperienced head coaches and general managers.

But stepping into those major managerial positions often leads to rookie mistakes. In Cleveland, most head coaches were not given time to grow. Nor were they deemed worthy of another shot at a head coaching job elsewhere.

Here are two emails from a fan named Dave. He is not alone in how this season has impacted him.

“We lost another game because of this man’s incompetence!! Why did he keep throwing the ball on first down instead of running the ball! Joe Flacco has not played in over a year but Stefanski stubbornly continues to throw the ball!! He is incompetent, overrated, and in over his head. Please Cleveland media- stop being so easy on this guy!!! We will never get to a Super Bowl with this guy as our coach – guarantee it!!!”

This past Sunday, he wrote:

“While I still am not certain that Stefanski is the one to take us to a Super Bowl – that said, who else are we going to get? I have to say that he has done an admirable job keeping the team together and in playoff contention in the midst of this unbelievable run of injuries. Shows his strength as a composed and thoughtful leader.”

I love it because it reflects how Stefanski is gaining grudging respect, at least from some segments of the fan base.

THE REAL GROWTH IN STEFANSKI

Dave actually nailed what has changed with the head coach when he wrote “Shows his strength as a composed and thoughtful leader.”

After last season, the Browns challenged Stefanski to be more of the overall leader of the team. It’s always a temptation for a former coordinator who becomes a head coach to see his role the same – looking at it through the coordinator’s eyes.

A head coach can still call plays, but needs a big-picture view. He needs to delegate more.

When the Browns made the decision to bring in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and special teams coach Bubba Ventrone, it was to help Stefanski in two weak areas of the team.

It also brought in established leaders that he could trust and work with to put together overall game plans. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and offensive line coach Bill Callahan always had significant roles in game-planning, but that’s even more true today.

A top NFL source told me this is how the Browns see their coach:

“Kevin is smart, humble and even-keeled. All the characteristics needed to navigate adversity. People say they want emotion when things are going poorly, but you don’t need the captain of your ship to constantly ride the ups and downs of the season. He has done a good job delegating this year and all the work he has done in terms of relationship-building over the past four years has borne fruit.”

That’s what we’re seeing this season.