Regardless of what outsiders think about the Cleveland Browns hiring Todd Monken, new offensive coordinator Travis Switzer reveals why the marriage will work out
Todd Monken found himself ranked dead last in many of the various rankings of the 10 coaches hired during 2026 coaching carousel.
With the Cleveland Browns going through a transitional phase, hiring a first-time head coach who just turned 60 seemed perplexing to many or most of the major sports outlets.
Despite what's said outside of the building, internally, Monken is seen as just right for Cleveland and its passionate fan base. Just take it from new OC Travis Switzer.
"So the first thing, like if you were to just say Todd Monken, what's the first thing that kind of comes to my mind, is passion," Switzer said of his boss this week. "And I've said this to a lot of people, he would have been great anywhere. He is perfect for here. And I truly believe that. I mean, the city, the players, the building are going to see his passion, and I think that's going to rub off on people and it's going to be great."
There's no quicker way to win over Browns fans than exuding a relatable passion for football and winning. If Monken can thread the needle on those two things, it's safe to say he won't go down as the worst hire of this cycle.
Monken has delivered a clear vision for how he plans on pulling off just that. It starts with putting the players in the best position to be successful.
"Something [John Harbaugh] used to say to the guys too, like, 'Everybody's here for a reason. Let's make sure you're elite at what you're elite at,'" said Switzer, who worked under Monken in Baltimore each of the last three years. "We're going to work on everything else, but let's be elite at what you're elite at, because that's what we're going to use you for in the majority of those situations"
Monken brings that message – not some regimented, set-in-his-ways scheme – to Cleveland. As he said during his introductory press conference, his goal is to build an offense that can score a lot of points any way possible. It doesn't matter what player, what play or how.
"I think that goes back to how your system is built from day one. It needs to be built in a way that is multiple enough that you can stress the defense in a variety of ways and also cater to your players and who you have," Switzer said of their collaborative offensive philosophy. "I think that's something that Monk has been elite at and we were able to do in Baltimore as well. So if the system's built in the right way from the jump, you're able to move down this avenue, move down this avenue and then expand on that."
If Monken and Switzer can turn that vision of the Browns offense into a reality, starting this offseason, the Browns will be making a lot of people eat their words for where their coaching decision was ranked.
Browns Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Browns. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.