Kevin Stefanski is getting his flowers after winning a second AP Coach of the Year Award.
The Cleveland Browns head man has been the mastermind behind turning around a franchise that generally couldn't get out of its own way and making it a perennial playoff contender. Now, as he enters his fifth year at the helm, he looks to build on the momentum from by a memorable run to the playoffs in 2023.
With Stefanski leading the charge, football analytics website Pro Football Focus believes the Browns are well positioned to do just that in 2024. Recently, PFF's Gordon McGuinness released a list of the Top 10 returning coaches returning coaches in 2024 and Stefanski found himself ranked No. 9 among many of his well-respected contemporaries.
McGuinness wrote:
The NFL's reigning Coach of the Year, Stefanski proved his worth as a head coach by making the playoffs with a Browns team that was really lacking at the quarterback position in 2023. They had four quarterbacks attempt 100 or more passes, and Joe Flacco was the best of the bunch with a 70.6 PFF passing grade. With the talent the Browns have on this roster, their success in 2024 will likely be determined by how Stefanski manages the quarterback position once again. Deshaun Watson hasn’t lived up to the price tag the Browns paid for him when they traded three first-round picks and gave him a fully guaranteed contract, and if things don’t improve early in 2024, they may need to consider a switch. Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley were brought in for depth this offseason.
As McGuinnes notes, Stefanski's success moving forward is largely linked to the success of quarterback Deshaun Watson. That's likely the biggest reason Stefanski opted for hiring Ken Dorsey as the team's new offensive coordinator to bring a find a different way to maximize Watson's skillset.
In the meantine, Stefanski has certainly earned his keep among some of the better coaches in football. Along with Stefanski, two other AFC North coaches made an appearance on the list with John Harbaugh of the Ravens coming in third overall and Mike Tomlin of the Steelers coming in fifth overall.
