After four seasons, Kevin Stefanski has completed almost every task a head coach of the Cleveland Browns could have been asked to yield in a short period.
The two-time Coach of the Year recipient received a contract extension this offseason, the first time since 1999 a coach has stayed beyond his original contract.
With a resume loaded with first for this first-time head coach, there’s little doubt as to why he continues to rank highly in preseason coaching polls.
CBS Sports shared the results of their head coach rankings this week, placing Stefanski as the 10th-best coach for the 2024 season.
Analyst Cody Benjamin provided the reasoning behind each coach’s rank, and his assessment of Stefanski spoke highly of the Cleveland coach.
“Fortunately, Stefanski has proven adaptable as leader of the offense, taking pressure off Baker Mayfield back in 2020 and then coaxing a playoff bid out of an aging Joe Flacco in 2023,” Benjamin said.
The knock Benjamin had against Stefanski was one tying quarterback Deshaun Watson’s success to Stefanski’s fate.
In his first season, Stefanski made the Browns relevant again, taking the team to the NFL Playoffs and winning a game – on the road against AFC North rival Pittsburgh nonetheless – to revive the moribund franchise.
That 2020 season ended a nearly two-decade playoff drought and earned the team its first postseason victory since 1995.
Stefanski led the Browns back into the playoffs last year despite Watson missing more than half of the regular season, earning his second coaching honor for his effort.
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