Former Minnesota OC Stefanski Fired by Cleveland Browns

Kevin Stefanski has been a very solid Head Coach for the Browns despite the numerous hurdles since his arrival in 2020.

His tenure came to a close on Monday morning, as the Browns have opted to part ways with the former Vikings assistant.

Stefanski was hired by the team in 2020, and was a 2-time NFL Coach of the Year during his time in Cleveland.

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BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns fired head coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons, the team announced Monday.

The Browns finished the 2025 season with a 5-12 record en route to their second straight last-place finish in the AFC North and their fourth losing season under Stefanski.

"We have tremendous gratitude for Kevin's leadership of the Cleveland Browns over the last six seasons," Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said Monday in a statement. "He is a good football coach and an even better person. We appreciate all his hard work and dedication to our organization but our results over the last two seasons have not been satisfactory, and we believe a change at the head coaching position is necessary."

The Browns also announced that Andrew Berry, who arrived in Cleveland with Stefanski in 2020, will remain in his position as general manager.

"The entirety of our focus is on building a team that brings our fans the success they long deserve, and we will continue to work relentlessly towards that goal and invest whatever resources necessary to build a winning football program," the Haslams said. "Andrew will immediately begin our thorough process to find an outstanding new head coach and leader of our football team. We have an exciting young core to build upon, and Andrew and his team are intent on adding talent to this core and building out a roster that can achieve sustainable success."

The decision to part ways with Stefanski comes two seasons after he won his second NFL Coach of the Year award and less than two years after he received a contract extension.

From 2020 to 2023, Stefanski led the Browns to two playoff appearances and the highest winning percentage (.552) for the team over a four-year stretch since 1986-89. But Cleveland has struggled over the past two seasons with a combined record of 8-26. This season marked the Browns' fourth losing season under Stefanski.

"After six seasons as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, I leave with an immense sense of gratitude," Stefanski said in a statement released by the team. "When I arrived in January of 2020, this organization, this community and Browns fans embraced me and my family with open arms. I cannot express properly in words how good we have been treated. A sincere 'Thank You' to everyone who I have been so blessed to work for and with over these six seasons. I'd like to especially thank my coaching staff and the players who did everything that was ever asked of them. They fought through injury and adversity, while always putting the TEAM FIRST. I wish all of you nothing but success."

Stefanski posted a 45-56 regular-season record and guided Cleveland to the playoffs in 2020 and 2023. He won his first Coach of the Year award in 2020 following a season in which the Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round of the playoffs, the franchise's first postseason victory since 1994. Stefanski was not on the sideline for the game and was unable to coach after testing positive for COVID-19. He won his second Coach of the Year award for helping guide Cleveland back to the playoffs in 2023 despite a litany of injuries, which forced the team to start five different quarterbacks.

Source: ESPN.com