The Cleveland Browns are zeroing in on their next head coach, and the name drawing the most attention right now is Nate Scheelhaase - currently the passing game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. According to reports, Scheelhaase is set to interview with the Browns next week and has emerged as a top candidate for the job. If hired, he’d likely retain Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator, a move that would preserve the continuity of one of the league’s most respected defenses.
Now, let’s be clear - this would be a bold move. At just 35 years old, Scheelhaase would become the youngest head coach in the NFL.
He’d also walk into the job with the least amount of NFL coaching experience among his peers. That’s not necessarily a dealbreaker - we’ve seen young hires pay off before - but it does raise eyebrows, especially in a league that often leans on experience and pedigree.
Scheelhaase only entered the NFL coaching ranks in 2024 after nearly a decade working in the college game, spending time at Illinois and Iowa State. His quick rise in the Rams organization - culminating in a promotion to passing game coordinator - speaks volumes about how he’s viewed internally.
And it’s not like he was just along for the ride in L.A. Under his guidance, Matthew Stafford turned in one of his best seasons in recent memory.
That’s not nothing.
Still, the jump from passing game coordinator to head coach is a steep one. Scheelhaase hasn’t even been an offensive coordinator at the NFL level, which naturally raises questions.
Is he ready to command an entire team? Can he manage the full scope of responsibilities - from game management to locker room leadership - that come with the top job?
The Browns seem to think he might be. And if they do pull the trigger, it would mark a significant philosophical shift - not just for Cleveland, but in how franchises are approaching head coaching hires.
This would be a swing for upside, a bet on potential over polish. And keeping Jim Schwartz in place would be a smart way to balance that risk.
Schwartz brings decades of experience, a proven defensive system, and the respect of the locker room. That kind of stability on one side of the ball could give a young head coach the runway he needs to grow into the role.
As expected, Browns fans are split. Some are intrigued by the idea of bringing in a fresh, innovative mind.
Others are skeptical, wondering whether Scheelhaase has the chops to handle the pressure cooker that is Cleveland football. Social media has been buzzing with everything from cautious optimism to outright disbelief.
One fan joked that the Browns hiring a passing game coordinator while the Steelers land a veteran like McCarthy would be a “role reversal.” Another questioned whether Scheelhaase was even the real candidate, suggesting maybe the Browns had mixed up their coaching titles.
But that’s the thing about NFL coaching searches - they rarely please everyone. And in a league that’s constantly evolving, sometimes the unconventional choice ends up being the right one.
The Browns have taken big swings before. Some have missed.
Others - like hiring Schwartz last offseason - have paid off in a big way.
If Scheelhaase gets the job, he’ll have to prove quickly that he belongs. But if the Browns are right about him, they might just be ahead of the curve.