CLEVELAND — accelerated their hunt for a new leader Friday, completing interviews with Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase and Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. General Manager Andrew Berry is moving with urgency to fill the void left by Kevin Stefanski, who was dismissed on Jan. 5 following a dismal 5-12 campaign.
Nate Scheelhaase, just 35 years old, arrives with the most explosive resume of the cycle. Under his guidance, the 2025 Rams offense evolved into a juggernaut, leading the NFL in total yards, passing yards, and points per game. Scheelhaase is widely credited with the career-best season of Matthew Stafford, who threw for a league-high 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns. His history of mentoring elite talent like Brock Purdy and Breece Hall at Iowa State makes him a primary candidate to develop Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
On the flip side, Jesse Minter offers a championship pedigree. The 42-year-old defensive mastermind recently led the Chargers to the league’s #5 total defense, allowing just 285.2 yards per game in 2025. Minter, who won a National Championship at Michigan before jumping to the NFL, has also emerged as a top target for the Falcons and Raiders. His unit proved its mettle down the stretch, holding opponents to 20 points or fewer in 10 of their final 11 games.
“Our attention turns to the search for the person to lead and develop what will be a young offense with heavy investment… to match and build on the performance of a young defense that is already playing at an elite level.” — Andrew Berry, Browns General Manager
Cleveland’s search is anything but narrow. The Browns have already connected with 12 total candidates, including heavy hitters like John Harbaugh and Mike McDaniel. Internal options remain on the table as well, with offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz both completing interviews this week. With several candidates like Minter and Scheelhaase drawing interest from division rivals, Berry must decide if he wants to gamble on a young offensive innovator or a proven defensive architect to stabilize the franchise.
