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The Tennessee Titans conducted an interview with Kevin Stefanski for the team’s head coaching vacancy. Here's everything you need to know about the Titans' candidate.
Stefanski, 43, coached the Cleveland Browns from 2020-25 until he was fired on Jan. 5. He’s a two-time NFL Coach of the Year award winner, but he only led the Browns to the playoffs in those two seasons, finishing with losing records in his other four campaigns including a 3-14 mark in 2024 and a 5-12 mark in 2025.
Prior to his time in Cleveland, Stefanski was a long-term assistant in Minnesota. He worked for the Vikings from 2006-19, rising from off-field assistant all the way up to offensive coordinator.
Stefanski’s tenure in Cleveland was defined by high highs, but also by a constant thread of quarterback uncertainty that sank many promising seasons led by stingy defenses. Stefanski went 11-5 in his debut season, guiding the Browns to their first playoff appearance in nearly a decade alongside quarterback Baker Mayfield. But Mayfield’s injuries the next year led to regression and a disappointing season for a Cleveland roster with high hopes. In response, the Browns moved on from Mayfield and traded for Deshaun Watson in 2022, one of the more disastrous moves in recent NFL history. Watson has only started 19 games across four seasons, owning a 9-10 record despite his record-breaking contract.
Stefanski salvaged the negativity of the Watson situation in 2023, leading the Browns to the playoffs with veteran quarterback Joe Flacco leading the way. But the anyone-can-play-quarterback approach ran dry in 2024 and 2025 when the combination of Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Bailey Zappe, Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders led to a 7-26 record.
Even during Stefanski’s best years, the Browns rarely put up eye-popping offensive numbers. His best offense ranked 14th in the NFL in yards per game and 10th in points per game. Over the last two years, the Browns have ranked 32nd and 31st in scoring.
Still, Stefanski’s teams have tended to be competitive thanks to pretty strong defense and he’s had a bit of a knack for hiring quality assistants ranging from coaching veterans like Bill Callahan and Jim Schwartz to on-the-rise assistants like Drew Petzing.
Titans vice president of player personnel Dan Saganey, who is on the team's search committee, worked with Stefanski in Cleveland from 2020-24.
The Titans fired Callahan in October after a 1-5 start to the 2025 season that followed a 3-14 debut year in 2024. Under interim coach Mike McCoy, the Titans finished the 2025 season with another 3-14 record and earned the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Titans have announced completed head coach interviews with the following candidates:
The Titans have also scheduled interviews with or requested interviews from the following candidates: Former Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, former Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris, former Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans coaching search: Pros, cons of Kevin Stefanski as candidate
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Stefanski, 43, coached the Cleveland Browns from 2020-25 until he was fired on Jan. 5. He’s a two-time NFL Coach of the Year award winner, but he only led the Browns to the playoffs in those two seasons, finishing with losing records in his other four campaigns including a 3-14 mark in 2024 and a 5-12 mark in 2025.
Prior to his time in Cleveland, Stefanski was a long-term assistant in Minnesota. He worked for the Vikings from 2006-19, rising from off-field assistant all the way up to offensive coordinator.
Kevin Stefanski coaching resume
Stefanski’s tenure in Cleveland was defined by high highs, but also by a constant thread of quarterback uncertainty that sank many promising seasons led by stingy defenses. Stefanski went 11-5 in his debut season, guiding the Browns to their first playoff appearance in nearly a decade alongside quarterback Baker Mayfield. But Mayfield’s injuries the next year led to regression and a disappointing season for a Cleveland roster with high hopes. In response, the Browns moved on from Mayfield and traded for Deshaun Watson in 2022, one of the more disastrous moves in recent NFL history. Watson has only started 19 games across four seasons, owning a 9-10 record despite his record-breaking contract.
Stefanski salvaged the negativity of the Watson situation in 2023, leading the Browns to the playoffs with veteran quarterback Joe Flacco leading the way. But the anyone-can-play-quarterback approach ran dry in 2024 and 2025 when the combination of Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Bailey Zappe, Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders led to a 7-26 record.
Kevin Stefanski to Titans? What makes sense
Even during Stefanski’s best years, the Browns rarely put up eye-popping offensive numbers. His best offense ranked 14th in the NFL in yards per game and 10th in points per game. Over the last two years, the Browns have ranked 32nd and 31st in scoring.
Still, Stefanski’s teams have tended to be competitive thanks to pretty strong defense and he’s had a bit of a knack for hiring quality assistants ranging from coaching veterans like Bill Callahan and Jim Schwartz to on-the-rise assistants like Drew Petzing.
Titans vice president of player personnel Dan Saganey, who is on the team's search committee, worked with Stefanski in Cleveland from 2020-24.
The Titans fired Callahan in October after a 1-5 start to the 2025 season that followed a 3-14 debut year in 2024. Under interim coach Mike McCoy, the Titans finished the 2025 season with another 3-14 record and earned the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Titans coaching search candidates, info
The Titans have announced completed head coach interviews with the following candidates:
- Matt Nagy, Chiefs OC
- Lou Anarumo, Colts DC
- Steve Spagnuolo, Chiefs DC
- Vance Joseph, Broncos DC
- Kevin Stefanski, former Browns HC
- Jason Garrett, former Cowboys HC
- Mike McCoy, Titans interim HC
The Titans have also scheduled interviews with or requested interviews from the following candidates: Former Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, former Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris, former Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans coaching search: Pros, cons of Kevin Stefanski as candidate
Continue reading...
