The Cleveland Browns are deep into their head coaching search, but it’s not exactly going smoothly-and now we may have a clearer picture of why.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Browns’ approach to hiring a head coach is unlike anything else around the league. We're not just talking about your standard interviews and film breakdowns. Cleveland reportedly asks candidates to take personality assessments, write essays, and complete other evaluative tasks designed to give the front office a deeper data set on each coach.
This isn’t a new development, either. Pelissero noted that the Browns have been using this method for years. And while the intention might be to find the perfect cultural and philosophical fit, it’s raising eyebrows across the league.
As one veteran coaching agent told Pelissero: “The Browns are the Browns. Their process is different than everyone else’s, and we’ll see where it leads them this time.”
That "different" process might be doing more harm than good. Two high-profile coaching candidates-Mike McDaniel and Jesse Minter-recently backed out of the Browns’ search.
McDaniel, known for his offensive creativity, opted to take the offensive coordinator job with the Los Angeles Chargers, though he's still in the mix for the Buffalo Bills’ head coaching role. Minter, meanwhile, was just named the new head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
Both had interviews lined up with Cleveland before pivoting elsewhere.
That’s not a great look for a franchise trying to attract top-tier coaching talent.
Cleveland’s search is still very much in progress. They haven’t yet satisfied the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching positions, and they’ve only held second interviews with a limited number of individuals. In other words, there’s still a long road ahead.
But the bigger question looming over all of this: Is Cleveland’s meticulous, data-heavy process actually helping-or is it pushing candidates away?
In a league where time is short and competition is fierce, the Browns’ approach stands out. Whether it leads to the right hire or leaves them empty-handed remains to be seen.
One thing’s for sure-if the goal is to build a winning culture, the process can’t just be different. It has to work.