Who is Todd Monken, and why is everyone suddenly talking about him? If you follow the NFL, you already know the answer. But if you’ve just stumbled into this story — buckle up. The Cleveland Browns just handed their most important job to a 59-year-old offensive mastermind who once tried to draft their own quarterback. That’s the kind of storyline you can’t make up.
Let’s break down everything you need to know about Todd Monken — from his early coaching days to his brand-new five-year deal in Cleveland, and why this hire is either a stroke of genius or a very expensive gamble.
Who Is Todd Monken? The Quick Answer
Todd Monken is an American football coach with over three decades of experience at both the college and NFL levels. Born on February 5, 1966, in Wheaton, Illinois, he played college quarterback at Knox College before turning to coaching straight out of school.
He is now, as of January 28, 2026, the head coach of the Cleveland Browns — his first NFL head coaching job after a career spent building some of the most productive offenses in football. His father, Bob Monken, was a high school football coach, so you could say football is genuinely in his DNA. He’s also a cousin of Army head coach Jeff Monken, keeping it a proper coaching family.
How Old Is Todd Monken? And Does Age Matter Here?
Todd Monken turned 60 on February 5, 2026 — just days after being officially named Cleveland’s head coach. That makes him one of a rare group of coaches to take an NFL head job at or after age 60.
According to CBS Sports Research, he became just the eighth non-interim head coach in NFL history to coach his first regular-season game at 60 or older. The list includes names like Bruce Arians (who went on to win a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay) and Dick LeBeau. So while the age number sounds big, the company he’s in isn’t exactly bad.
What Is Todd Monken Coaching History?
This is where things get genuinely impressive. Monken didn’t wake up one morning and become a top NFL offensive coordinator. He spent decades grinding through college programs, the NFL, and back to college again before landing where he is today.
Here’s how his coaching career unfolded:
Early Career (1989–2012): Monken got his start as a graduate assistant at Grand Valley State in 1989, where he worked alongside a then-unknown defensive coordinator named Brian Kelly. He followed his head coach to Notre Dame in 1991 and later moved through stops at Eastern Michigan, Illinois State, and Oklahoma State — steadily climbing from defensive backs coach to wide receivers coach to offensive coordinator.
Southern Miss Head Coach (2013–2015): His first taste of leading a program came at the University of Southern Mississippi. He went 4–8 in year one and 3–9 in year two — rough, honestly. But he finished with a 9–5 record in 2015, showing real progress. That bounce-back matters because it mirrors exactly what the Browns are hoping happens in Cleveland.
Jacksonville Jaguars (2015, OC): A brief NFL return before bigger things came calling.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016–2018): Three seasons as offensive coordinator, where he worked with quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick and ran one of the more creative passing offenses in the league at the time.
Cleveland Browns – First Stint (2019): Monken was hired as offensive coordinator under head coach Freddie Kitchens. The Browns finished 22nd in yards per game and 22nd in scoring. The entire staff was fired after one season. So yes — this is technically his second tour in Cleveland. He knows the organization.
University of Georgia (2020–2022): This chapter is where Monken truly became a household name in football circles. He joined Kirby Smart’s staff and helped the Bulldogs win back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022 — the program’s first titles since 1980. The Georgia offense under Monken was efficient, balanced, and built around protecting the ball while still being explosive. That combination is now exactly what Cleveland needs.
Baltimore Ravens (2023–2025): His final stop before Cleveland was arguably his most impressive. As John Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator, Monken helped Lamar Jackson win his second NFL MVP award in 2023. In 2024, Baltimore became the first team in NFL history to throw for at least 4,000 yards and rush for at least 3,000 in the same season, per NFL.com. The Ravens ranked first in total yards per game (424.9) that season. That’s not just a strong offense — that’s a historically balanced one.
Why Did the Browns Hire Todd Monken?
The Cleveland Browns fired Kevin Stefanski on January 5, 2026, after a 5–12 season — the team’s second straight disappointing year after going 8–26 over two seasons. The offense was a disaster, finishing dead last in scoring the year prior and 31st in 2025 (15.8 points per game), according to ESPN.
The search for a new head coach led the Browns through multiple rounds of interviews and several candidates. Monken wasn’t even considered a frontrunner early on. In fact, many expected him to follow John Harbaugh to the New York Giants as their offensive coordinator after the Ravens chose not to retain him under new head coach Jesse Minter.
Instead, Monken outlasted every other candidate, signed a five-year deal (per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler), and took over a franchise desperately in need of offensive identity. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler first broke the contract details — you can read the full official report here.
Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam put it plainly: Monken is “highly intelligent” with an “experienced, innovative offensive mindset” that has produced results at both the college and NFL levels. GM Andrew Berry called him “direct, demanding, and detail-oriented” — exactly what a young roster needs.
What’s the Todd Monken and Jim Schwartz Standoff About?
This is where it gets awkward, and people have been searching for it constantly.
Jim Schwartz was the Browns’ defensive coordinator in 2025 — and a genuinely exceptional one. Cleveland’s defense ranked fourth in yards allowed that season despite the offense constantly putting them in impossible situations. Schwartz was himself a candidate for the head coaching job.
When the Browns chose Monken instead, Schwartz reportedly told coaches he would not remain with the team, even though he’s under contract and Cleveland wanted to keep him. NFL Network reported he was “visibly upset” at being passed over.
At his introductory press conference, Monken was measured about it. He confirmed he had spoken to Schwartz, said he didn’t plan to change Cleveland’s defensive system, and added: “My anticipation is we’re not gonna change the system.” He declined to say definitively whether Schwartz would stay.
The whole situation is a reminder that NFL coaching searches are never clean, even when the hire itself is a good one. The Browns may have their offensive coach — but potentially lost the architect of their best defensive unit in years.
The Todd Monken and Shedeur Sanders Meeting — What Happened?
This went viral for a good reason. When the Browns posted a video of Monken meeting Shedeur Sanders for the first time, it gave people a lot to talk about.
Monken hugged Sanders, then immediately told him: “We tried to draft your ass last year for God’s sake. It’s all worked out.” That’s a pretty wild way to introduce yourself to your quarterback — but it’s also telling.
Monken was Baltimore’s offensive coordinator in 2025, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter had previously reported that the Ravens planned to select Sanders in the fifth round of that draft. Sanders apparently signaled he didn’t want to sit behind Lamar Jackson, so Baltimore passed. Sanders fell to pick 144, where the Browns took him.
Fast forward to now: the coach who almost drafted him in Baltimore is now his head coach in Cleveland. As Sanders told ESPN, Monken brings “a new vibe, a new energy” to the building. Sanders has been working out in Cleveland throughout the offseason and has clearly built a real relationship with Monken already — even gifting him a horse head for his birthday. (Football players, man.)
Monken praised Sanders’ “elite playmaking ability” at the NFL combine but was careful not to hand him the starting job outright. He called it an “open competition” between Sanders, Deshaun Watson (who missed all of 2025 recovering from a torn Achilles), and Dillon Gabriel. As of early May 2026, with three practices under his belt, Monken said he is “not there yet” on deciding a starter.
What About Todd Monken Salary and Contract?
The five-year contract was reported by ESPN. While the exact annual salary figure has not been publicly confirmed, EssentiallySports noted that Cleveland made a significant multi-million dollar investment — consistent with modern NFL head coaching salaries, which typically range from $6 million to over $12 million annually for experienced coordinators making the jump to head coach.
Given Monken’s résumé and the competition from John Harbaugh’s Giants connection, it’s safe to say Cleveland did not lowball him.
What Does Todd Monken Past Tell Us About His Future in Cleveland?
A few things stand out when you look at his full coaching career:
He builds balanced offenses. Whether it was Georgia’s championship-winning units or Baltimore’s historically balanced 2024 offense, Monken values both the run and the pass. That’s ideal for a Browns team that has quality young running backs — including Quinshon Judkins, who led Cleveland with 827 rushing yards as a rookie in 2025 (Yahoo Sports).
He develops quarterbacks. He helped Lamar Jackson become a more complete passer. He helped Georgia QBs operate efficiently within a winning system. Sanders needs exactly that kind of guidance.
He bounces back. His 4–20 record in his first two years at Southern Miss looked bleak. His 9–5 final season there showed what he could do with time and the right pieces. Cleveland fans are hoping history repeats.
He knows the AFC North. Three seasons in Baltimore means he understands the Ravens, Steelers, and Bengals in ways that an outside hire simply would not. That divisional familiarity is a genuine edge.
What’s the Biggest Challenge Monken Faces in Cleveland?
Quarterback. That word explains basically every Browns headline from the last four years.
The team traded three first-round picks for Deshaun Watson in 2022 and gave him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract. Watson has started just 19 games in Cleveland across three seasons, throwing 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, before injuries ended his 2024 season and kept him off the field entirely in 2025. His contract carries $80.7 million against the cap in 2026, making a trade nearly impossible.
That leaves Cleveland with Watson (on a comeback), Sanders (promising but raw), and Gabriel (solid but limited). None of them has proven to be a franchise answer. And according to a May 2026 Yardbarker report, there are already whispers that if the team struggles, both Monken and GM Andrew Berry could face job pressure — despite Monken not having coached a single game yet.
That may sound harsh. But it’s Cleveland. The fanbase has been through too much to be patient without results.
Final Thought: Is the Todd Monken Hire a Good One?
Objectively? Yes. The résumé is real. The national championship rings at Georgia are real. The Lamar Jackson MVP is real. The historical Ravens offense in 2024 is real.
The risk isn’t Monken’s ability — it’s the situation around him. A broken quarterback room, a potentially departing defensive coordinator, and a fanbase that desperately wants to believe again after years of disappointment.
Monken is clearly intelligent, experienced, and motivated. He’s also walking into one of the most complicated roster situations in the league. If he gets the quarterback question right, Cleveland could compete. If he doesn’t, not even a great coaching mind can fix it.
Cleveland is betting its future on this man. The next chapter starts in September 2026.
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