Lead
On Jan. 20, 2026, the Cleveland Browns announced they have relieved Kevin Stefanski of his duties as head coach, ending a six-season tenure. Ownership and general manager Andrew Berry framed the move as a response to unsatisfactory results over the last two seasons, including a 5-12 finish in 2025. The team said Berry will continue to run football operations and immediately begin a search for a new head coach. The organization emphasized its intent to invest in the roster and build sustainable success around a young core.
Key takeaways
- Kevin Stefanski was fired after six seasons as Browns head coach; his overall record with the club is 45-56.
- The Browns finished the 2025 season 5-12, prompting ownership to seek a change at head coach.
- Stefanski led the Browns to two postseason berths and two 11-win regular seasons during his tenure.
- Stefanski won the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year award twice (2020 and 2023), a first for a Browns coach since Forrest Gregg.
- Andrew Berry will continue as Executive VP of Football Operations and GM and will lead the search for the next head coach.
- Ownership cited inadequate results over the last two seasons despite a promising young roster and defensive unit.
- The team stated it will ‘‘invest whatever resources necessary’’ to build a long-term winning program.
Background
Kevin Stefanski was hired by the Browns on Jan. 13, 2020, inheriting a franchise that had not reached postseason success in many years. In his first season, he guided Cleveland to its first playoff appearance since 2002 and the franchise’s first playoff victory in 26 years, a turnaround that quickly raised expectations. Stefanski’s 11 regular-season wins in 2020 were the most by a first-year Browns coach since Paul Brown in 1946 and among the highest for rookie coaches leaguewide that season.
Over six seasons, Stefanski produced two 11-win campaigns and two playoff berths, achievements the organization has said helped stabilize the team. At the same time, injuries, roster construction questions and uneven offensive output created recurring concerns. Ownership and the front office repeatedly pointed to a young core and a defense viewed as performing at a high level as foundations to build upon, even as overall results dipped.
Main event
The Browns issued a formal statement on Jan. 20, 2026, announcing Stefanski would be relieved of his head-coaching duties. Team principals Dee and Jimmy Haslam expressed appreciation for Stefanski’s leadership but said recent results did not meet expectations and a change was necessary. The statement named Andrew Berry as the continuing leader of football operations and confirmed an immediate, formal coaching search.
Andrew Berry released his own message acknowledging the difficulty of the decision and taking responsibility for the team’s collective underperformance. He praised Stefanski’s role in steadying the organization through challenging circumstances and credited him with establishing professional standards and a developmental environment for younger players. Berry also noted the front office’s current plan to make targeted investments in the offense over the next six months to complement an already-strong defense.
Stefanski issued a short statement expressing gratitude to the organization, the community and his players after the decision. He thanked his coaching staff and players for their work through injuries and adversity, and said he leaves with appreciation for his time in Cleveland. The team reaffirmed that the search for a successor will prioritize bringing sustained success to fans and building around the young core already in place.
Analysis & implications
The move signals Cleveland’s impatience with back-to-back disappointing seasons and a desire to accelerate roster improvement. A 5-12 finish in 2025 undercut the progress signaled by earlier playoff appearances and left ownership and management concluding that new leadership on the sideline is needed. Removing a coach with two Coach of the Year awards underscores how recent outcomes can outweigh past accolades in a results-driven league.
Andrew Berry’s decision to conduct the search internally while retaining control of football operations suggests the Browns want a head coach aligned with a longer-term roster strategy. That could favor candidates with experience developing young offenses or those willing to work collaboratively with an engaged general manager. The Browns’ pledge to ‘‘invest whatever resources necessary’’ indicates potential expenditure in free agency or coaching staff salaries to accelerate improvement.
Nationally, the vacancy enters a crowded market of teams seeking coaches, and timing will matter: candidates will weigh contract guarantees, roster windows and organizational stability. For Cleveland, selling the team’s defensive success and young core will be important in recruiting top candidates. The choice of the next coach will influence offensive scheme, personnel moves and the timeline for expected improvement.
Comparison & data
| Metric | Stefanski (six seasons) |
|---|---|
| Seasons | 6 |
| Overall record | 45-56 |
| 2025 record | 5-12 |
| Playoff appearances | 2 |
| 11-win seasons | 2 |
| AP Coach of the Year | 2020, 2023 |
The table condenses the principal metrics cited by the team in announcing the coaching change. Those figures highlight the contrast between notable achievements early in Stefanski’s tenure and the regression that culminated in the 2025 finish. For front-office evaluators, trends across win totals, postseason results and roster development will inform the profile sought in the next hire.
Reactions & quotes
Ownership framed the decision as a difficult but necessary step and emphasized gratitude for Stefanski’s contributions. Their announcement linked the change directly to recent results while reiterating a commitment to build a sustainable winner.
“We have tremendous gratitude for Kevin’s leadership…but our results over the last two seasons have not been satisfactory,”
Dee and Jimmy Haslam, team principals (official team statement)
Andrew Berry offered a conciliatory take, acknowledging responsibility for the group’s underperformance and praising Stefanski’s professionalism and stabilizing presence. Berry also laid out the organization’s next priorities: a coaching search and investments to bolster the offense.
“I am disappointed that we could not accomplish more together…the collective underperformance of our group is something I own,”
Andrew Berry, Executive VP of Football Operations / GM (official team statement)
Stefanski expressed gratitude to the community and his players in a brief response, thanking teammates and staff and wishing the organization well. He emphasized the team-first culture he sought to build and the bonds formed over six seasons.
“After six seasons…I leave with an immense sense of gratitude,”
Kevin Stefanski (personal statement)
Unconfirmed
- No formal list of coaching candidates has been released; names reported by media remain unverified by the team.
- The precise timeline and financial parameters for the Browns’ coaching search and potential roster investments have not been publicly disclosed.
Bottom line
The Browns’ decision to part ways with Kevin Stefanski closes a chapter that began with rapid improvement and playoff breakthroughs but ended amid recent underperformance. Stefanski’s record — two playoff berths, two 11-win seasons and two AP Coach of the Year awards — reflects measurable accomplishments, yet the 5-12 2025 season proved decisive for ownership and the front office.
Andrew Berry now faces a consequential choice: hire a coach who can develop a young offense and complement a defense that leadership describes as a current strength, or take a different route that reshapes the roster and scheme. For fans and stakeholders, the next coach and subsequent roster moves will define whether the Browns convert their young core into sustained, championship-level success.
Sources
- ClevelandBrowns.com — official team statement