The Cleveland Browns have been in business since 1946. For the first 49 years, the organization had 10 head coaches. The franchise was put on hiatus for several years and then resumed in 1999. For the next 26 seasons, the Browns hired and fired 12 head coaches.
Cleveland, OH
Browns firing of Kevin Stefanski: Determining factors in decision
STEFANSKI HAS TEAMS LINED UP
The most recent was Kevin Stefanski, who was a Black Monday victim. What happened?
How did Cleveland owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam come to this conclusion? After all, he was named NFL Coach of the Year not once, but won this prestigious award twice in 2020 and also in 2023. He orchestrated the first playoff appearance by the Browns in 17 years, then won their first playoff game against the hated division foe, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With all of these accolades, why would the front office decide to give him walking papers after being with the team for six years? This organization is famous for hiring coaches and then letting them go after one or two years at the helm. And yet, here is a guy who gave the team much-needed stability.
The demise of Stefanski began last year.
In 2023, the Browns went 11-6-0 and captured the highest Wild Card seed, then got slammed by the Houston Texans in the first round of the postseason. Just three weeks prior, Cleveland dominated the Texans, taking home an easy 36-22 win in a contest that wasn’t that close. So, the playoff loss was not expected.
Having won 11 games and gone to the playoffs, Browns fans and the media were expecting this to continue and string along several years’ worth of postseason berths, you know, like the Marty Schottenheimer years.
Instead, the Browns went 3-14-0. In the season opener, they got taken to the woodshed by the Dallas Cowboys 33-17, who then finished their season 7-10-0 so it wasn’t like the beating came from a great team. At first, Cleveland lost four games by a touchdown or less. But as the season rolled along, they were getting beaten pretty regularly by scores like 34-13, 20-3, 35-14, 35-10, and 24-6.
The two bright spots were the 29-24 come-from-behind win over the Baltimore Ravens, plus the 24-19 win over the Steelers, both games at home. Each of these two teams was not only in the division but also ended up going to the playoffs.
Following a 14-loss season, that alone might cause an owner to send his head man packing. But the Haslams were patient. They said in the 2025 training camp, the roster looked like a winner. The Haslams had a press conference on July 31 after a practice. They haven’t gathered for the press since the April NFL draft, so there was a lot to cover.
Here are a few excerpts from that presser in regards to Stefanski:
Q: In terms of wins, what would be a successful season?
Jimmy: You really think we’re going to answer that? We’ve got to do better than three, okay? To put a number on it, I don’t think we will ever do that. Everybody – coaches, players, personnel, ownership, all know that 3-14 won’t cut it. We’ve got to do better. I think we’ll know what better looks like.
Q: People always talk about patience as an organizational value. What does that look like? What does patience look like?
Jimmy: Well, I think it’s, it’s what we’ve just talked about. We realized that we went 3-14. There was great uncertainty at quarterback. You probably weren’t going to go 14-3. So, let’s try to build the team the right way. And I’m repeating myself, and it’s premature, but I like the guys we picked. And time will tell how good they are. But Mason (Graham), Carson (Schwesinger), (Harold) Fannin Jr., Shedeur (Sanders), Dillon (Gabriel), etc. look like, Dylan Sampson, look like not only really good players, but really good people. And I’ll say this for the two quarterbacks coming in, and I know everybody has a vision of Shedeur (Sanders), but he’s come in, in the building, worked hard, kept his head down, and done what he’s supposed to do, as has Dillon (Gabriel), which was no surprise for either of them.
Q: How do you convince fans that to get your message across to them, this is a building process because you know how loyal they are and how frustrated they are?
Jimmy: Well, listen, we’re frustrated too. And we share the fans’ pain, okay? And we – Dee, says this all the time. We’re stewards of this franchise, and we need to do a better job. And we want to win for a lot of different reasons. The main reason we want to win is for our fans. They really do. We have great fans.
Q: With that type of philosophy, sort of a little bit of a patient attitude for this season. What does that mean for Kevin Stefanski? Because people are already asking if he’s on the hot seat.
Jimmy: Yeah, listen, you all, we talk to you all fairly frequently, and we’re very supportive of Kevin (Stefanski) and Andrew (Berry). Now, do they need to do better? Yeah, but so do Dee (Haslam) and I. You know what I mean? And these are high-pressure jobs they have, but we really like them in their roles as coach and GM, and we really like them as people. And I say this all the time. They’re 38 and 42 years old.
Q: How much has that patience approached, how much have you guys kind of talked about your history owning the team? Just how much have you kind of learned that?
Jimmy: I think we did a poor job early on, and hopefully we’re doing a better job now. And listen, we talk about it organizationally. This isn’t just ownership, but we talk about it — all Andrew’s (Berry) staff, all Kevin’s (Stefanski) staff, everybody is aware of the plan, and that’s how good teams work together.
Basically, the Haslams knew that the team would have to take its time in order to become an annual member of the postseason tournament. Dee or Jimmy never called it a “rebuild,” and from the roster standpoint, it did not appear that the roster needed to be purged. A few pieces here and there, and on paper, it looked like the team could compete. The recent NFL draft brought in some promising players in need positions.
And the Browns did – on defense.
Special teams fell apart, and the offense never got into any type of rhythm, which was Stefanski’s wheelhouse. To be fair, the Week 1 offensive line was supposed to be the catalyst to propel the offense. It was the same lineup that just two seasons ago was ranked #3 in the league, except for LT Jed Wills, who was substituted by Dawand Jones, who was viewed as an upgrade.
However, just like every other year, one guy would go down, followed by another. In Week 18, it was seven-time LG Joel Bitonio, two backups, and two practice squad guys starting along the offensive line for the Browns. In the finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, C Luke Wypler was injured, and Zak Zinter filled in. That meant the backup to the backup was inserted. Cleveland used seven different line combinations during this season.
Everyone knows this group must have stability and continuity to be successful. Real chemistry. Even the trades for OTs Cam Robinson and KT Leveston were total busts, as both players were viewed as liabilities instead of redeemers.
The quarterback situation is a running joke on late-night TV and Browns podcasts. In the past three seasons, the Browns have started 14 different QBs:
- 2023: Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, P.J. Walker, Jeff Driskel
- 2024: Watson, Jameis Winston, DTR, Bailey Zappe
- 2025: Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders
The Browns set three NFL records with the QB situation. First, they tied the 1987 New England Patriots by starting the most QBs in a single season with five. The second, they set a record for the most starting quarterbacks in two years, with nine. In 2025, Cleveland used a staggering 22 different starting quarterbacks, setting a new NFL record.
The offense was basically the cause of another double-digit loss season. And because this unit was supposed to be why they hired Stefanski in the first place, after losing 26 games in two seasons and the regression, the Haslams basically had no choice but to make a change.
Stefanski showed up as the offense’s play-caller, which he then gave up. The quarterback situation was always in flux, the offense finished this year ranked #30 in the league with the third fewest offensive touchdowns (30), and #31 in scoring offense (16.4).
The year before, the Browns’ offense ranked #28 overall, dead last in offensive touchdowns scored (29), and dead last in scoring offense (15.2). The Haslams believed this year’s team was capable of winning more games.
What led the Browns to move on from Stefanski?
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CLEVELAND, Ohio — OHSAA boys basketball scores from Friday in Ohio, as provided by The Associated Press.
Ada 56, McComb 54
Alliance 65, Carrollton 44
Amherst Steele 79, Avon Lake 71
Andover Pymatuning Valley 93, Middlefield Cardinal 72
Anna 61, Houston 34
Arcadia 63, Leipsic 50
Arcanum 65, W. Alexandria Twin Valley S. 46
Archbold 76, Metamora Evergreen 40
Arlington 58, Pandora-Gilboa 30
Ashland 62, Wooster 43
Ashland Crestview 68, Monroeville 57
Ashtabula Lakeside 63, Conneaut 42
Attica Seneca E. 59, Bucyrus Wynford 50
Aurora 58, Cuyahoga Falls 56
Barnesville 48, Cadiz Harrison Cent. 43
Batavia 59, Clarksville Clinton-Massie 43
Batavia Clermont NE 41, Lees Creek E. Clinton 38
Bellbrook 46, Franklin 39
Beloit W. Branch 45, Alliance Marlington 33
Belpre 65, New Matamoras Frontier 57
Berlin Hiland 71, Sugarcreek Garaway 41
Bethel-Tate 60, Felicity-Franklin 47
Botkins 64, Sidney Fairlawn 32
Bowerston Conotton Valley 49, E. Can. 45
Brecksville-Broadview Hts. 49, Stow-Munroe Falls 21
Bridgeport 73, Cameron, W.Va. 43
Bristol 76, Warren Lordstown 56
Brookville 64, Carlisle 48
Burton Berkshire 63, Wickliffe 24
Caledonia River Valley 98, Shelby 65
Camden Preble Shawnee 74, Ansonia 49
Can. Cent. Cath. 83, Youngs. Mooney 42
Can. McKinley 81, Can. Glenoak 60
Can. South 68, Navarre Fairless 34
Carey 52, Upper Sandusky 44
Casstown Miami E. 37, Sidney Lehman 26
Cedarville 79, Spring. Greenon 55
Celina 52, Kenton 38
Chagrin Falls 75, Rootstown 61
Chagrin Falls Kenston 74, Willoughby S. 49
Chesapeake 67, Dawson-Bryant 34
Chillicothe 54, Hillsboro 50
Chillicothe Unioto 61, Chillicothe Huntington 43
Chillicothe Zane Trace 69, Bainbridge Paint Valley 30
Cin. La Salle 47, Cin. Elder 23
Cin. Moeller 52, St. Xavier (OH) 49
Cin. NW 86, Purcell Marian 51
Cin. Oak Hills 53, Cin. Sycamore 33
Cin. Princeton 45, Fairfield 42
Cin. Winton Woods 49, Loveland 34
Cin. Wyoming 67, N. Bend (Cleves) Taylor 31
Cols. Africentric 55, West 48
Cols. Centennial 89, Cols. Whetstone 28
Cols. Linden-McKinley 40, Cols. Beechcroft 35
Cols. Marion-Franklin 59, Cols. Briggs 57
Cols. Mifflin 80, Columbus International 41
Cols. Northland 57, East 41
Cols. Walnut Ridge 75, Cols. Eastmoor 64
Columbiana 74, E. Palestine 39
Columbus Grove 52, Spencerville 49
Convoy Crestview 69, Delphos Jefferson 52
Copley 53, Kent Roosevelt 52
Cortland Maplewood 60, Windham 28
Cory-Rawson 86, Marion Elgin 68
Creston Norwayne 47, Apple Creek Waynedale 40
Day. Northridge 86, DeGraff Riverside 38
Defiance Ayersville 58, Hicksville 48
Delphos St John’s 73, St. Henry (OH) 50
Delta 47, Swanton 33
Detroit Catholic Central, Mich. 50, Toledo St John’s Jesuit 41
Dover 54, Lexington 31
Doylestown Chippewa 80, Rittman 50
Dublin Coffman 70, Powell Olentangy Liberty 54
Edon 74, Pioneer N. Central 73
Elyria 77, N. Ridgeville 59
Euclid 93, Mentor 76
Findlay 62, Tol. Whitmer 53
Franklin Furnace Green 70, Portsmouth Clay 54
Fredericktown 72, Danville 49
Ft. Recovery 43, Coldwater 36
Galion Northmor 58, Cardington-Lincoln 54
Gallipolis Gallia 64, Proctorville Fairland 50
Gates Mills Hawken 74, Hunting Valley University 67
Genoa 77, Pemberville Eastwood 46
Genoa Christian 88, Northside Christian 38
Goshen 73, New Richmond 23
Greenwich S. Cent. 60, Norwalk St Paul 57
Grove City 47, New Albany 42
Hamilton 62, Middletown 57
Hamilton Badin 69, Cin. McNicholas 31
Hamilton Ross 63, Oxford Talawanda 44
Hamler Patrick Henry 73, Wauseon 58
Harrod Allen E. 62, Lima Cent. Cath. 61, OT
Hartville Lake Center Christian 46, Medina Christian Academy 38
Haviland Wayne Trace 53, Defiance Tinora 38
Heartland Christian 65, Lowellville 60
Hilliard Bradley 43, Cols. Upper Arlington 33
Holgate 42, Gorham Fayette 26
Hubbard 70, Canfield S. Range 61
Huber Hts. Wayne 69, Beavercreek 54
Independence 57, Beachwood 43
Ironton 65, South Point 32
Ironton St. Joseph 60, Portsmouth Sciotoville 35
Jeromesville Hillsdale 62, West Salem Northwestern 32
Kettering Alter 63, Day. Carroll 27
Kirtland 61, Mantua Crestwood 30
LaGrange Keystone 89, Lorain Clearview 39
Leesburg Fairfield 71, Manchester 36
Leetonia 61, Salineville Southern 50
Lewistown Indian Lake 63, St. Paris Graham 31
Liberty Center 72, Bryan 49
Liberty Twp. Lakota E. 56, Cin. Colerain 46
Lima Bath 66, Elida 58
Lima Shawnee 55, Defiance 47
Lima Temple Christian 60, Mt. Victory Ridgemont 51
Lucasville Valley 61, Portsmouth W. 47
Macedonia Nordonia 64, Twinsburg 55
Madison 81, Ashtabula Edgewood 73
Mansfield 74, Millersburg W. Holmes 54
Maria Stein Marion Local 58, New Bremen 23
Marion Harding High School 39, Bellville Clear Fork 33
Marion Pleasant 70, Ontario 64
Massillon Jackson 43, Uniontown Lake 32
Massillon Washington 72, Massillon Perry 52
Maumee 64, Fostoria 55
Mayfield 80, Chardon 69
McDermott Scioto NW 49, Beaver Eastern 39
Medina Highland 47, Barberton 46
Mentor Christian 48, N. Ridgeville Lake Ridge 41
Milford (OH) 47, Cin. Anderson 39
Milford Center Fairbanks 67, Mechanicsburg 35
Minerva 80, Salem 55
Minford 62, S. Webster 54
Minster 51, Rockford Parkway 44
Mogadore Field 57, Akr. Coventry 56
Montpelier 65, Pettisville 44
Mt. Vernon 46, Newark Licking Valley 45
N. Can. Hoover 82, Green 44
N. Robinson Col. Crawford 66, Sycamore Mohawk 26
Nelsonville-York 61, McArthur Vinton County 47
New Concord John Glenn 74, Crooksville 33
New Franklin Manchester 73, Orrville 67
New Hope Christian 63, Stewart Federal Hocking 54
New London 65, Collins Western Reserve 57
New Paris National Trail 57, New Lebanon Dixie 52
New Washington Buckeye Cent. 55, Bucyrus 32
Newark 67, Logan 39
Newark Cath. 63, Hebron Lakewood 44
Niles McKinley 69, Struthers 62
Norton 63, Lodi Cloverleaf 40
Oak Harbor 48, Tontogany Otsego 46
Oak Hill 49, Crown City S. Gallia 44
Olmsted Falls 59, Avon 50
Orange 80, Christian Community School 24
Ottawa-Glandorf 57, St Marys 31
Ottoville 70, Ft. Jennings 59
Painesville Riverside 79, Eastlake North 34
Paulding 62, Edgerton 51
Philo 57, Byesville Meadowbrook 43
Pickerington Central 81, Canal Winchester 61
Plymouth 75, Ashland Mapleton 52
Poland Seminary 63, Girard 49
Portsmouth Notre Dame 64, New Boston Glenwood 19
Racine Southern 52, Waterford 47
Richwood N. Union 65, Bellefontaine Benjamin Logan 54
Riverside Stebbins 68, Greenville 65, OT
Russia 46, Jackson Center 39
Sheffield Brookside 59, Oberlin 51
Shekinah Christian 67, Granville Christian 38
Sidney 63, Fairborn 48
Smithville 57, Dalton 42
Solon 79, N. Royalton 69
Spring. Shawnee 61, Spring. NW 36
St. Edward (OH) 72, Louisville 51
Steubenville Cath. Cent. 55, Zanesville Rosecrans 53
Streetsboro 54, Peninsula Woodridge 44
Strongsville 72, Medina 54
Stryker 57, W. Unity Hilltop 39
Sullivan Black River 41, Wellington 32
Sylvania Northview 60, Whitehouse Anthony Wayne 53
Tol. Christian 57, Tol. Emmanuel Baptist 49
Trenton Edgewood 53, Monroe 45
Troy 58, Xenia 55
Uhrichsville Claymont 63, Zoarville Tuscarawas Valley 52
Urbana 61, Bellefontaine 46
Utica 60, Johnstown Northridge 57, OT
Van Buren 33, Mt. Blanchard Riverdale 20
Van Wert 47, Wapakoneta 42
Van Wert Lincolnview 80, Bluffton 66
Vermilion 51, Port Clinton 31
Versailles 69, New Knoxville 31
Vincent Warren 75, Ross County Christian 61
W. Chester Lakota W. 38, Mason 26
W. Jefferson 61, N. Lewisburg Triad 33
W. Lafayette Ridgewood 58, Magnolia Sandy Valley 48
Warrensville Hts. 62, Bedford 52
Washington C.H. 53, Greenfield McClain 40
Waverly 60, Wheelersburg 48
Waynesfield-Goshen 53, N. Baltimore 51
Wellston 68, Athens 60
Westerville Cent. 64, Pickerington North 62
Westerville N. 75, Hayes 33
Westerville S. 78, Sunbury Big Walnut 55
Westlake 45, Lawrence School 0
Willard 68, Milan Edison 44
Willow Wood Symmes Valley 54, Latham Western 53
Zanesville Maysville 71, Dresden Tri-Valley 63
POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=
Mansfield Christian vs. Mansfield St. Peter’s, ppd.
Tol. Scott vs. Lima, ppd.
CLEVELAND — A Cleveland restaurant and chef have been recognized as semifinalists for the prestigious 2026 James Beard Awards, which honor top restaurant and bar professionals across the nation.
Outstanding Hospitality
Mallorca, Cleveland, OH
Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
Vinnie Cimino, Cordelia, Cleveland, OH
Restaurant and Chef finalist nominees will be announced on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, and the winners will be recognized and celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony in Chicago on June 15, 2026.
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CLEVELAND, OH — Students at multiple Northeast Ohio school campuses walked out of classes Thursday afternoon to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions and federal immigration enforcement policies, joining a broader wave of youth‑led demonstrations that began earlier this week.
Walk‑outs at Glenville High School, John Hay High School, the John Marshall Campus, Wickliffe High School, Cleveland School of the Arts, Cleveland Heights–University Heights schools, Facing History New Tech High School and the Garrett Morgan Campus began at or shortly after 2:00 p.m., according to the Cleveland branch of the Party of Socialism and Liberation. Students at Case Western Reserve University participated in a similar walk‑out on Wednesday. The coordinated actions followed national demonstrations tied to opposition to ICE and related enforcement practices.
Organizers and participants framed the actions under messaging that included demands such as “ICE Out of Our Cities” and described the protests as expressions of solidarity with immigrant families amid heightened national focus on immigration enforcement. Many students said they coordinated the walk‑outs through social media and peer networks rather than through formal school channels.
Some participants expressed concern about safety and possible retaliation from law enforcement, particularly when considering marching into busier city corridors or downtown areas. Students at Cleveland School of the Arts discussed avoiding main streets and heavily policed zones as they moved through neighborhoods near school campuses.
Turnout varied by campus, with groups ranging from small clusters of students to larger assemblies leaving class together, gathering outside school buildings and marching short distances nearby. As of Thursday evening, no major incidents, arrests or reported violence had been confirmed in connection with the walk‑outs, and no counter‑protests were reported.
The demonstrations in Northeast Ohio are part of a nationwide pattern of student and worker protests this week, often linked to what participants and some media outlets are calling the “Free America” walk‑out movement. In Cleveland, the student actions followed community rallies and university participation earlier in the week, reflecting sustained momentum.
Organizers indicated that additional actions could follow, though no further dates or locations were formally announced Thursday. School districts had not released consolidated statements addressing the walk‑outs as of Thursday evening.
U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, D‑Ohio, weighed in on the controversy surrounding federal immigration enforcement on Thursday evening after the protests, saying she voted No this week on a House bill that would have funded U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Brown said in an email to Cleveland 13 News that she believes “every day, ICE and CBP under the Trump Administration are committing new abuses with no accountability, no respect for the law, and no regard for civil rights,” and that she will “not support another cent for agencies that continue to terrorize our communities, commit abuses, and escalate violence.”
Brown criticized the broader funding framework that has increased resources for immigration enforcement, saying the Republican‑backed Reconciliation Bill passed last year gave ICE an additional $75 billion in funding, which she called a “ICE slush fund” that should be repealed in favor of other priorities. She also outlined policy changes she supports, including impeaching ICE leadership, requiring body cameras and proper identification for agents, and barring ICE enforcement from churches and schools, tying her position to what she described as a growing national outcry over enforcement tactics and incidents such as recent confrontations and fatal encounters involving federal agents.
At Cleveland 13 News, we strive to provide accurate, up‑to‑date, and reliable reporting. If you spot an error, omission, or have information that may need updating, please email us at tips@cleveland13news.com. As a community‑driven news network, we appreciate the help of our readers in ensuring the integrity of our reporting.
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