Former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski pens a parting message to the Dawg Pound, thanking them for six seasons of passion and unforgettable moments
Several days after being relieved of his duties as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kevin Stefanski made sure to share a heartfelt, farewell message to the city's loyal fan base.
Via a full-page ad in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Stefanski penned the following message:
DAWG POUND
Thank you for your incredible support over the last six seasons. I had a front row seat to the most unmatched passion of Browns fans.
The roars (and barks) from the crowd will always stay with me! Please know that I will always be indebted to this city, this community, and you, the fans of the Cleveland Browns.
Kevin Stefanski
It's a classy move by the now-former Browns head coach.
Stefanski spent six years guiding the franchise and was able to deliver some truly unforgettable moments. In his first year at the helm, he led the Browns to their first playoff appearance since 2002, clinching a berth in front of a limited-capacity home crowd via a Week 17 win over top rival Pittsburgh.
One week later, after being forced to watch the game from home due to Covid, Stefanski's team pulled off a road upset of the Steelers in the wild-card round in what remains the organization's only playoff win since returning to the shores of Lake Erie in 1999.
Three seasons later, in 2023, Stefanski helped keep the team afloat despite an exuberant number of injuries and five different starting quarterbacks to make a return appearance to the postseason. Cleveland's thrilling Thursday night win over the New York Jets on Dec. 28 to clinch a playoff berth remains one of the most special nights in franchise history.
Unfortunately, the two seasons since were plagued by plagued by inconsistent offensive play and too much losing, with Stefanski's squad posting an 8-26 record over that span.
Even closing out the season with back-to-back win over division rivals Pittsburgh and Cincinnati wasn't enough for the 43-year-old to save his job when it came time for owner Jimmy Haslam to make a decision about his future this week. Despite the unceremonious end, Stefanski leaves Browns fans with plenty of memorable moments to reminisce about one day.
Stefanski is in line to potentially get hired elsewhere this offseason. He's already had interviews with the New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, and AFC North rival, Baltimore Ravens, for their vacant head coach jobs. He's also expected to interview with the Tennessee Titans.