Odds on Next Browns Head Coach — Offensive-Minded Coaches are the Frontunners

• Klint Kubiak is the favorite to be the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns
• Kevin Stefanski, a 2-time Coach of the Year in six seasons, was let go after a 5-12 year
• See the next Cleveland Head Coach odds below, plus my favorite pick to get the job

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Another year, another disappointment. And now, another head coaching search for the Cleveland Browns.

Kevin Stefanski was axed on Black Monday, as the Browns finished the year 5-12 and ended the year in last place in the AFC North for the second straight year.

GM Andrew Berry survived the purge and will work to find a new head coach, and the current betting odds have Seattle OC Klint Kubiak as the frontrunner.

Let’s look at all the candidates and check out my best bets below.

Next Cleveland Browns Head Coach Odds

Kingsbury checks in with +340 odds, followed closely by Kingsbury, the Washington OC at +390. Just behind him is Bills OC Joe Brady at +490.

A couple of defensive coordinators follow, headed by 49ers DC Robert Saleh, at +650 odds, with Chris Shula — who also comes from the well respected Sean McVay coaching tree — at +700 odds. The only candidate near the top of the list currently not on an NFL staff is Deion Sanders, at +900.

Odds as of Jan 6 at 10am ET at DraftKings. See the full list of DraftKings legal states.

Offensive Minds are the Top Candidates for Browns Coaching Job

Stefanski won NFL Coach of the Year twice in his six seasons in Cleveland, but he was never able to land on a franchise QB, with Baker Mayfield the closest candidate, who didn’t realize his full potential until his fourth NFL stop in Tampa Bay.

The next coach might still be in that carousel, as Cleveland owns the sixth pick, and would need to trade up to land their next potential franchise QB.

That’s why Kubiak leads the way: with a decent run game, he got another career year out of one-time draft bust Sam Darnold. While there are still questions about that offense being able to play when trailing, the formula in Seattle — score some points and let the defense do damage — could be replicated in Cleveland.

Klint Kubiak, 38, has methodically built a name as one of the NFL’s most discussed offensive architects, following in the footsteps of his father, Super Bowl-winning coach Gary Kubiak.

After starting as a quality control coach with the Vikings in 2013, Kubiak worked his way up… pic.twitter.com/D53adD3yBH

— PFSN (@PFSN365) December 23, 2025

With Kingsbury, there’s a chance the guy who rebuilt his rep working with Jayden Daniels can coax the best out of either Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders, both entering their second season.

Brady has also helped Josh Allen unlock his full potential as perhaps the best QB in football, but I’d caution thinking these two candidates are close to a QB whisperer, at least not more than Stefanski, who is already considered a Grade A coaching candidate for his offensive mind.

Stefanski put together a Top 10 scoring offense out of these Browns in 2023.

Cleveland Browns Scoring Offense: Last 4 Seasons

Kingsbury faltered with Kyler Murray as his main guy while coaching Arizona and Allen was already establishing himself as an elite QB prior to working with Brady.

If the Browns do stick with the current QB situation, then Deion would seem like a good choice, since his son Shedeur played his best ball under him at Colorado and Jackson State.

While this makes sense in most markets, I don’t think rolling the dice on a first-year coach like Sanders brings the stability the franchise needs.

Of the top three candidates, Kubiak would make the most sense.

Cleveland Browns Next Head Coach Prediction

That being said, there are three candidates I like best in this scenario. Robert Saleh literally held the Jets together and the team completely fell apart (and still is in tailspin mode) after he was let go last season.

Saleh has shown he can shape culture and is well respected. He can keep Browns’ defense sharp, and just make sure he hires a dynamite OC so they can put up points and be competitive.

Mike McCarthy represents the veteran adult in the room, and while there’s likely a ceiling to where he can take Cleveland, the Super Bowl-winning coach brings stability to the position.

He’s 62 games over .500 in his career, and had NFL leading scoring offenses as recently as 2021 and 2023. Scoring and winning are Cleveland’s two biggest issues.

Your next coach of @Browns !!!
Grant Udinksi
Played defensive end in college.
OC of Vikings '24 (Darnold) and Jaguars '25 (Lawrence)
Both made playoffs.
30 years old. The next Sean McVay?#Browns #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/CXSaMAZv9I

— Fla_Buckeye (@fla_buckeye) January 5, 2026

And if you want to go offensive-minded, why not try a new, fresh face instead of re-treading Kingsbury?

Jacksonville OC Grant Udinski just helped coax the best season out of Trevor Lawrence, who was literally another flameout away from being a bust. While he didn’t call plays and is just 30, that’s the more inventive swing than brining in Shedeur’s dad.

In the end, I like Saleh’s energy and enthusiasm. In Cleveland, he’s going to need it. The one thing the fans and management don’t have anymore, is patience.