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List of Cleveland Browns head coaches

Updated: Wikipedia source

List of Cleveland Browns head coaches

The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football franchise based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are a member of the North Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The team began playing in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), and joined the NFL as part of the AAFC–NFL merger in 1950. The team played their home games at Cleveland Stadium from 1946 to 1995 before moving to Cleveland Browns Stadium, where they have played since 1999. The Browns did not play from 1996 to 1998 when the team's owner, Art Modell, moved the team to Baltimore, Maryland and formed the Baltimore Ravens. The team was reactivated under new ownership in Cleveland in 1999. The Browns are currently owned by Jimmy Haslam III. There have been 18 non-interim head coaches for the Browns franchise. Their first head coach was Paul Brown, who coached for 17 complete seasons. Brown is also the franchise's all-time leader for the most regular season games coached (214), the most regular season game wins (158), the most playoffs games coached (14), and the most playoff game wins (9). Brown is the only Browns head coach to win an AAFC championship, winning four. Brown and Blanton Collier have led the Browns to NFL championships. Brown won the Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year three times, the United Press International (UPI) NFL Coach of the Year once, and was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach. Five coaches have won Coach of the Year awards: Brown (1949, 1951, 1953, 1957), Forrest Gregg (1976), Sam Rutigliano (1979, 1980), Marty Schottenheimer (1986), and Kevin Stefanski (2020, 2023). Since their reactivation in 1999, the Browns have had significant turnover at the head coaching position. Ten men have coached the Browns since 1999, and only two have reached the postseason: Butch Davis (2002) and Stefanski (2020 and 2023).

Tables

· Key
GC
GC
#
GC
Number of coaches
Games coached
W
W
#
W
Number of coaches
Wins
L
L
#
L
Number of coaches
Losses
T
T
#
T
Number of coaches
Ties
Win%
Win%
#
Win%
Number of coaches
Winning percentage
00†
00†
#
00†
Number of coaches
Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach
00‡
00‡
#
00‡
Number of coaches
Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player
00*
00*
#
00*
Number of coaches
Spent entire NFL head coaching career with the Browns
#
Number of coaches
GC
Games coached
W
Wins
L
Losses
T
Ties
Win%
Winning percentage
00†
Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach
00‡
Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player
00*
Spent entire NFL head coaching career with the Browns
· Coaches
L
L
#
GC
Name
L
Term
T
Regular season
Win%
Regular season
GC
Regular season
W
Regular season
L
Regular season
Win%
Paul Brown †
1946
1946–1962
Paul Brown †
#
1
Name
Paul Brown †
Term
1946–1962
Regular season
214
Regular season
158
Regular season
48
Regular season
8
Regular season
767
Playoffs
14
Playoffs
9
Playoffs
5
Playoffs
643
Achievements
Four AAFC championships (1946, 1947, 1948, 1949)Three NFL championships (1950, 1954, 1955)Seven NFL Conference championships (1950–55, 1957) 1949, 1951, and 1953 Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year1957 UPI NFL Coach of the Year
Blanton Collier*
1963
1963–1970
Blanton Collier*
#
2
Name
Blanton Collier*
Term
1963–1970
Regular season
112
Regular season
76
Regular season
34
Regular season
2
Regular season
691
Playoffs
7
Playoffs
3
Playoffs
4
Playoffs
429
Achievements
NFL Champion in 1964 Four Eastern conference champions (1964, 1965, 1968, 1969)Three Century Division Champions (1967,1968, 1969)
Nick Skorich
1971
1971–1974
Nick Skorich
#
3
Name
Nick Skorich
Term
1971–1974
Regular season
56
Regular season
30
Regular season
24
Regular season
2
Regular season
556
Playoffs
2
Playoffs
0
Playoffs
2
Playoffs
000
Achievements
AFC Central Division Champions 1971
Forrest Gregg ‡
1975
1975–1977
Forrest Gregg ‡
#
4
Name
Forrest Gregg ‡
Term
1975–1977
Regular season
41
Regular season
18
Regular season
23
Regular season
0
Regular season
439
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Achievements
1976 Associated Press (AP) NFL Coach of the Year
Dick Modzelewski*
Dick Modzelewski*
#
Name
Dick Modzelewski*
Term
1977
Regular season
1
Regular season
0
Regular season
1
Regular season
0
Regular season
000
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Sam Rutigliano*
1978
1978–1984
Sam Rutigliano*
#
5
Name
Sam Rutigliano*
Term
1978–1984
Regular season
97
Regular season
47
Regular season
50
Regular season
0
Regular season
485
Playoffs
2
Playoffs
0
Playoffs
2
Playoffs
000
Achievements
1979 and 1980 UPI NFL Coach of the Year AFC Central Division Champions 1980
Marty Schottenheimer
1984
1984–1988
Marty Schottenheimer
#
6
Name
Marty Schottenheimer
Term
1984–1988
Regular season
71
Regular season
44
Regular season
27
Regular season
0
Regular season
620
Playoffs
6
Playoffs
2
Playoffs
4
Playoffs
333
Achievements
1986 UPI NFL Coach of the YearThree AFC Central Division Champions (1985, 1986 and 1987)
Bud Carson*
1989
1989–1990
Bud Carson*
#
7
Name
Bud Carson*
Term
1989–1990
Regular season
25
Regular season
11
Regular season
13
Regular season
1
Regular season
458
Playoffs
2
Playoffs
1
Playoffs
1
Playoffs
500
Achievements
AFC Central Division Champions 1989
Jim Shofner*
Jim Shofner*
#
Name
Jim Shofner*
Term
1990
Regular season
7
Regular season
1
Regular season
6
Regular season
0
Regular season
143
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Bill Belichick
1991
1991–1995
Bill Belichick
#
8
Name
Bill Belichick
Term
1991–1995
Regular season
80
Regular season
36
Regular season
44
Regular season
0
Regular season
450
Playoffs
2
Playoffs
1
Playoffs
1
Playoffs
500
1996
1996–1998
Name
Term
1996–1998
Chris Palmer*
1999
1999–2000
Chris Palmer*
#
9
Name
Chris Palmer*
Term
1999–2000
Regular season
32
Regular season
5
Regular season
27
Regular season
0
Regular season
156
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Butch Davis*
2001
2001–2004
Butch Davis*
#
10
Name
Butch Davis*
Term
2001–2004
Regular season
59
Regular season
24
Regular season
35
Regular season
0
Regular season
407
Playoffs
1
Playoffs
0
Playoffs
1
Playoffs
000
Terry Robiskie
Terry Robiskie
#
Name
Terry Robiskie
Term
2004
Regular season
5
Regular season
1
Regular season
4
Regular season
0
Regular season
200
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Romeo Crennel
2005
2005–2008
Romeo Crennel
#
11
Name
Romeo Crennel
Term
2005–2008
Regular season
64
Regular season
24
Regular season
40
Regular season
0
Regular season
375
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Eric Mangini
2009
2009–2010
Eric Mangini
#
12
Name
Eric Mangini
Term
2009–2010
Regular season
32
Regular season
10
Regular season
22
Regular season
0
Regular season
313
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Pat Shurmur
2011
2011–2012
Pat Shurmur
#
13
Name
Pat Shurmur
Term
2011–2012
Regular season
32
Regular season
9
Regular season
23
Regular season
0
Regular season
281
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Rob Chudzinski*
Rob Chudzinski*
#
14
Name
Rob Chudzinski*
Term
2013
Regular season
16
Regular season
4
Regular season
12
Regular season
0
Regular season
250
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Mike Pettine*
2014
2014–2015
Mike Pettine*
#
15
Name
Mike Pettine*
Term
2014–2015
Regular season
32
Regular season
10
Regular season
22
Regular season
0
Regular season
313
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Hue Jackson
2016
2016–2018
Hue Jackson
#
16
Name
Hue Jackson
Term
2016–2018
Regular season
40
Regular season
3
Regular season
36
Regular season
1
Regular season
088
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Gregg Williams
Gregg Williams
#
Name
Gregg Williams
Term
2018
Regular season
8
Regular season
5
Regular season
3
Regular season
0
Regular season
625
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Freddie Kitchens*
Freddie Kitchens*
#
17
Name
Freddie Kitchens*
Term
2019
Regular season
16
Regular season
6
Regular season
10
Regular season
0
Regular season
375
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs
Kevin Stefanski*
Kevin Stefanski*
#
18
Name
Kevin Stefanski*
Term
2020–present
Regular season
84
Regular season
40
Regular season
44
Regular season
0
Regular season
476
Playoffs
3
Playoffs
1
Playoffs
2
Playoffs
333
Achievements
2020 and 2023 AP NFL Coach of the Year
#
Image
Name
Term
Regular season
Playoffs
Achievements
Ref.
GC
W
L
T
Win%
GC
W
L
Win%
1
Paul Brown †
1946–1962
214
158
48
8
767
14
9
5
643
Four AAFC championships (1946, 1947, 1948, 1949)Three NFL championships (1950, 1954, 1955)Seven NFL Conference championships (1950–55, 1957) 1949, 1951, and 1953 Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year1957 UPI NFL Coach of the Year
2
Blanton Collier*
1963–1970
112
76
34
2
691
7
3
4
429
NFL Champion in 1964 Four Eastern conference champions (1964, 1965, 1968, 1969)Three Century Division Champions (1967,1968, 1969)
3
Nick Skorich
1971–1974
56
30
24
2
556
2
0
2
000
AFC Central Division Champions 1971
4
Forrest Gregg ‡
1975–1977
41
18
23
0
439
1976 Associated Press (AP) NFL Coach of the Year
Dick Modzelewski*
1977
1
0
1
0
000
5
Sam Rutigliano*
1978–1984
97
47
50
0
485
2
0
2
000
1979 and 1980 UPI NFL Coach of the Year AFC Central Division Champions 1980
6
Marty Schottenheimer
1984–1988
71
44
27
0
620
6
2
4
333
1986 UPI NFL Coach of the YearThree AFC Central Division Champions (1985, 1986 and 1987)
7
Bud Carson*
1989–1990
25
11
13
1
458
2
1
1
500
AFC Central Division Champions 1989
Jim Shofner*
1990
7
1
6
0
143
8
Bill Belichick
1991–1995
80
36
44
0
450
2
1
1
500
1996–1998
9
Chris Palmer*
1999–2000
32
5
27
0
156
10
Butch Davis*
2001–2004
59
24
35
0
407
1
0
1
000
Terry Robiskie
2004
5
1
4
0
200
11
Romeo Crennel
2005–2008
64
24
40
0
375
12
Eric Mangini
2009–2010
32
10
22
0
313
13
Pat Shurmur
2011–2012
32
9
23
0
281
14
Rob Chudzinski*
2013
16
4
12
0
250
15
Mike Pettine*
2014–2015
32
10
22
0
313
16
Hue Jackson
2016–2018
40
3
36
1
088
Gregg Williams
2018
8
5
3
0
625
17
Freddie Kitchens*
2019
16
6
10
0
375
18
Kevin Stefanski*
2020–present
84
40
44
0
476
3
1
2
333
2020 and 2023 AP NFL Coach of the Year

References

  1. A running total of the number of coaches of the Browns. Thus, any coach who has two or more terms as head coach is only
  2. Each year is linked to an article about that NFL season.
  3. Gregg was fired thirteen games into the 1977 season. Modzelewski served as interim head coach for the remaining game.
  4. Rutigliano was fired eight games into the 1984 season. Schottenheimer served as interim head coach for the remaining eig
  5. Carson was fired nine games into the 1990 season. Shofner served as interim head coach for the remaining seven games.
  6. The Browns did not play from 1996 to 1998 due to events in the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy.
  7. Davis resigned eleven games into the 2004 season. Robiskie served as interim head coach for the remaining five games.
  8. Jackson was fired eight games into the 2018 season. Williams served as interim head coach for the remaining eight games.
  9. During the 2020–21 NFL playoffs, Stefanski tested positive for COVID-19. Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer served a
  10. Cleveland Browns
    https://web.archive.org/web/20100402101044/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/history/results.php
  11. Cleveland Browns
    https://web.archive.org/web/20100315201301/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/tickets/stadium/
  12. Henkel 2005, p. 111
  13. "Cleveland Browns – Front Office"
    http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/front-office.html
  14. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/BrowPa0.htm
  15. "NFL Coach of the Year Award"
    https://archive.today/20121205094433/http://www.hickoksports.com/history/nflcoy.shtml
  16. "Paul Brown"
    http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?PLAYER_ID=34
  17. Interim head coaches are not included in the numbering.
  18. "Cleveland Browns"
    http://www.profootballhof.com/history/team.aspx?franchise_id=8
  19. "History: NFL Champions"
    http://www.profootballhof.com/history/general/champions.aspx
  20. Sporting News
    https://web.archive.org/web/20090217041243/http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/almanac/nfl/coachofyear.html
  21. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/CollBl0.htm
  22. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/SkorNi0.htm
  23. The Washington Post
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58979-2005Jan8_3.html
  24. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/GregFo0.htm
  25. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/ModzDi0.htm
  26. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/RutiSa0.htm
  27. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/SchoMa0.htm
  28. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/CarsBu0.htm
  29. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/ShofJi0.htm
  30. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/BeliBi0.htm
  31. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/PalmCh0.htm
  32. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/DaviBu0.htm
  33. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/RobiTe0.htm
  34. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/CrenRo0.htm
  35. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/MangEr0.htm
  36. Pro-Football-Reference.com
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/ShurPa0.htm
  37. abcnews.go.com
    https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/ap-source-browns-hire-rob-chudzinski-coach-18186539
  38. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/PettMi0.htm
  39. "Hue Jackson hired as Cleveland Browns' 8th head coach since 1999"
    http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2016/01/hue_jackson_named_cleveland_br.html#incart_big-photo
  40. "Browns fire head coach Hue Jackson, offensive coordinator Todd Haley"
    http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25118191/browns-fire-coach-hue-jackson-two-plus-seasons
  41. "Browns promote Freddie Kitchens to head coach"
    https://www.nfl.com/news/browns-promote-freddie-kitchens-to-head-coach-0ap3000001009178
  42. "Browns hire Kevin Stefanski as next head coach"
    https://www.nfl.com/news/browns-hire-kevin-stefanski-as-next-head-coach-0ap3000001096127#:~:text=The%20Cleveland%20Browns%20have%20hired,later%20made%20the%20news%20official.
  43. Pro Football Reference
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/StefKe0.htm
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