Jimmy Haslam and Andrew Berry react on the decision to name Todd Monken the team's 19th head coach
It took 24 days, but the Cleveland Browns finally decided to offer their head coach job to former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
He now becomes the 19th, non-interim head coach in franchise history, returning to Northeast Ohio where he spent one year as OC in 2019.
While fans wonder what ultimately led the Browns to hiring the 59-year-old, first-time head coach, team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam shared some initial comments on the decision via the team's official press release:
"We are very excited to name Todd Monken the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns, 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. 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.
In our committee’s exhaustive reference work on Todd, his commitment to player development was evident, and his tough and straightforward coaching is respected by the players and the coaches he’s worked with, putting our team in a position to succeed while developing our players to maximize their talents. We welcome Todd, Terri, and the rest of the Monken family back to the Browns and look forward to him establishing the winning culture that will lead our team to the success our fans so deserve.”
Vice President of Football Operations and GM Andrew Berry also reflected on the lengthy search that ended with selecting Monken to lead the team as a thought partner atop the organization.
“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. 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. We cannot wait to get started and we welcome Todd, Terri and Travis to Cleveland.”
The Browns brass will surely have more to say about the decision, along with Monken, at the new head man's introductory press conference. No date has been set just yet for Monken to be introduced.