CLEVELAND — Kevin Stefanski has been relieved of his duties as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, the organization announced on Monday.
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The announcement came a day after the Browns finished their season with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals, finishing with a 5-12 record.
Stefanski spent six seasons as the Browns’ head coach, leading the team to the playoffs twice. They won a Wild Card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021, marking their first playoff win in 26 years.
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Owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam released a statement saying they have “tremendous gratitude” for Stefanski’s leadership.
“He is a good football coach and an even better person. We appreciate all his hard work and dedication to our organization but our results over the last two seasons have not been satisfactory, and we believe a change at the head coaching position is necessary,” they said in part.
They added that General Manager Andrew Berry will continue to lead football operations and immediately begin the process of finding a new head coach.
“The entirety of our focus is on building a team that brings our fans the success they long deserve, and we will continue to work relentlessly towards that goal and invest whatever resources necessary to build a winning football program,” they said.
Stefanski said in a statement that he leaves the organization with “an immense sense of gratitude.”
“When I arrived in January of 2020, this organization, this community and Browns fans embraced me and my family with open arms,” Stefanski said. “I cannot express properly in words how good we have been treated. A sincere ‘Thank You’ to everyone who I have been so blessed to work for and with over these six seasons. I’d like to especially thank my coaching staff and the players who did everything that was ever asked of them. They fought through injury and adversity, while always putting the TEAM FIRST. I wish all of you nothing but success.”
During his time in Cleveland, he also led the Browns to two 11-win seasons. He was named the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2023, becoming the 16th coach to win the award multiple times.
Stefanski finished with a 45-56 record over six seasons.
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