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Updated Odds to Be Browns Head Coach After McCarthy, Rhule, Judge & Rivera Signed – Who’s Left for Cleveland?

David Golokhov

by David Golokhov in NFL Football

Updated Apr 13, 2020 · 3:59 PM PDT

Cleveland Browns helmet
The Cleveland Browns have yet to make a decision about their next head coach but Josh McDaniels is favored to be their next leader. Photo by Keith Allison (Wikimedia).
  • The Cleveland Browns have missed out on several possible head coaches like Ron Rivera, Matt Rhule and Mike McCarthy
  • Kevin Stefanski was favored to be the next Browns head coach at one point, but he’s fallen back in the latest futures
  • Eric Bieniemy of the Kansas City Chiefs would be a good fit and offers value at +750 odds

The Cleveland Browns have been slow to fill their head coaching vacancy, which means they’ve missed out on a number of potential candidates. Ron Rivera, Mike McCarthy, Matt Rhule and Joe Judge are no longer options, so who will the Browns turn to?

The latest odds favor Josh McDaniels, but even if he’s Cleveland’s top choice, can the Browns can lure him away from New England?

Cleveland Browns 2020 Head Coach Odds

Candidate Odds
Josh McDaniels +200
Robert Saleh +350
Kevin Stefanski +500
Lincoln Riley +700
Eric Bieniemy +750
Greg Roman +900
Urban Meyer +1000
Brian Daboll +1200
Mike LaFleur +1200
Dan Campbell +1400
Jim Schwartz +1400
Marvin Lewis +1400

Odds taken Jan. 7.

McDaniels Now Favored

When Cleveland originally fired Freddie Kitchens, Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski was favored to be the next Browns head coach. As we’ve moved through the process, he’s faded while New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is now the lead dog.

McDaniels, who was previously in the neighborhood of +600, is now at +200. But that may simply be because he’s no longer an option for the other teams. He was also the favorite for the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers gigs at one point. It’s unclear whether he and the Browns are any closer to a union.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnS0GMsGb-8

It’s always hard to gauge what McDaniels is thinking. Would he really leave the Patriots for a Browns franchise that’s in disarray? It still feels like the Patriots will get the band back together for one more year, which might entice him to stay.

What About The College Coaches?

We saw the Panthers surprise some people when they pried Rhule away from Baylor. Will he be the only head coach to jump up to the big leagues? There are two other big names on the board: retired head coach Urban Meyer and the Oklahoma Sooners boss Lincoln Riley.

At this point, I’d pass on Meyer as I don’t think he’s coming back for the Browns job. He felt a lot of stress and pressure at Ohio State and medical issues forced him into retirement; the stakes will be even higher with the Browns, who will be expected to produce immediate results given the talent on the roster.

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As for Riley, it’s questionable whether he’d make the jump too. He’s in a comfy spot in Oklahoma where he has as much job security as anybody in the country. Of course, pairing him with his former quarterback, Baker Mayfield, might be attractive to the team, but does Riley want to be the man to untangle the Browns’ mess?

I’d pass on both of these options as I don’t think either of them will be all that excited to take over the Browns.

What’s The Best Bet?

I like Eric Bieniemy at +750. While he hasn’t received much attention (largely because the Kansas City Chiefs are still in the playoffs) he would be a good fit. Cleveland needs an offensive mind to get Mayfield on track and on the same page with Odell Beckham Jr. Bieniemy could be that man.

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On top of that, he comes from a good coaching tree as Andy Reid’s disciples have generally done pretty well. There’s John Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, Doug Pederson and Ron Rivera. That makes Bieniemy all the more attractive. At +750, I’d take a flier on him before I’d bet anyone above him.

Pick: Bieniemy (+750)

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