Owner Jimmy Haslam<\/span><\/span><\/strong> and general manager Andrew Berry<\/span><\/span><\/strong> said the organization will conduct an \u201cextensive\u201d head coaching search. They stopped short of committing to interviews with internal candidates, including defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz<\/span><\/span><\/strong> and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.<\/p>\n Yet as the dust settles, the most logical \u2014 and arguably safest \u2014 answer may already be in the building.<\/p>\n The 2025 Browns were football\u2019s most glaring contradiction. Offensively, Cleveland ranked last (32nd)<\/strong> in yards per play and yards per pass attempt, hovered near the bottom of the league in passing yards per game, and finished dead last in scoring at 15.2 points per game<\/strong>. No modern contender survives that profile.<\/p>\n Defensively, the Browns were elite.<\/p>\n Cleveland finished top five in total yards allowed, held opponents under 300 yards per game on average, ranked No. 1 in PFF grades across the defensive line<\/strong>, and finished fifth in defensive DVOA<\/strong>. Through Week 18, only three teams allowed fewer yards per game. The defense wasn\u2019t just good \u2014 it was championship caliber.<\/p>\n That unit belongs to Schwartz.<\/p>\n Schwartz doesn\u2019t sell optimism. He sells accountability.<\/p>\n \u201cThey don\u2019t pay us for the easy (expletive),\u201d Schwartz told Cleveland.com in an interview with Ashley Bastock. \u201cI tell our coaches that all the time: They don\u2019t pay us for the good times.\u201d<\/p>\n That quote explains why Cleveland\u2019s defense never wavered despite injuries, constant offensive strain, and a losing record. According to Bastock\u2019s reporting, Schwartz maintained unchanged standards and zero tolerance for excuses. The result: Cleveland ranked No. 2 in total yards allowed<\/strong> this season and, since Schwartz arrived, remains the only NFL defense averaging fewer than 300 opponent yards per game<\/strong>.<\/p>\n That consistency matters when evaluating head coaching candidates \u2014 especially for a roster already built around defensive dominance.<\/p>\n Any Browns coaching discussion begins with Myles Garrett<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, who authored one of the most dominant defensive seasons in NFL history in 2025.<\/p>\n Garrett finished the year with a record-setting 23 sacks<\/strong>, breaking the NFL single-season mark of 22.5 in the final game of the season. He also led the league with 33 tackles for loss<\/strong>, recorded 60 total tackles (43 solo)<\/strong>, and forced three fumbles<\/strong>. The historic campaign earned him the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Schwartz\u2019s philosophy is central to that production.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re affecting the game if you get a TFL for minus-5 or a sack for minus-5,\u201d Schwartz told Bastock. \u201cIt\u2019s the same thing. It affects the game the same way. But one gets glorified a lot more.\u201d<\/p>\n Garrett echoed that sentiment. \u201cTo play for Jim has been an honor and a privilege,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s a great coach\u2026 and it has helped elevate my game and take it to the heights we see now.\u201d<\/p>\n Franchises rarely find generational defenders \u2014 and they rarely benefit from removing the coach who maximized them.<\/p>\nA Tale of Two Units<\/h3>\n
\u201cThey Don\u2019t Pay Us for the Easy Stuff\u201d<\/h3>\n
Myles Garrett and the Schwartz Effect<\/h3>\n
Defense Defined Every Browns Win<\/h3>\n
![\"Browns](\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/Browns-defensive-tackle-1024x736.jpg\")