The Cleveland Browns appointed Todd Monken as their new head coach on Wednesday, a move that left defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz feeling less than pleased.
Schwartz was a candidate for the head coaching position, and if he decides not to return as defensive coordinator, the Browns should hire a former New England Patriots coach.
A To Z Sports Browns writer Brandon Little named former New England and current Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as a possible name to replace Schwartz.
“Patricia has multiple Super Bowls as an assistant with the New England Patriots and has head coach experience from his time with the Detroit Lions,” Little wrote on Friday. “Even if his time as a head coach didn’t go well, Patricia is still one of the best defensive minds in the sport. The Ohio State defensive coordinator had the top defense in the country in 2025, and Patrica helped his image in a big way. Cleveland should at least have a conversation here if nothing else.”
Patricia hasn’t been an NFL defensive coordinator since his time with New England in 2017, before he became the Lions’ head coach. Monken and Patricia had never worked together on the same coaching staff, but they could recognize each other’s strengths through their connections.
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The Browns still retain the rights to Schwartz, which means there’s still a possibility they could work something out with him, allowing him to return as the defensive coordinator.
Featured image via Eric Canha/Imagn Images
