Odds To Be The Next Head Coach Of The Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are a mess. After a demoralizing 2019 season full of expectations, the Browns already have their sights set on the next head coach they hope can bring respectability back to the franchise.

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is the betting favorite to take the top job in Cleveland according to online sportsbook Sportsbook. 

Right behind him on the oddsboard are former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy (+300), Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski (+500), former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer (+600) and 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh (+700) to round out the top five betting options.

Why Josh McDaniels Is The Favorite

Pedigree, ingenuity and coaching experience are just some of the reasons why Josh McDaniels is the favorite to be the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns. However, the main reason McDaniels should be top of mind for each NFL coaching vacancy is his possible upcoming availability from the New England Patriots.

There are rumors of McDaniels potentially bolting from Massachusetts for greener pastures because of the potential demise of the Patriots as we know them. QB Tom Brady is 42 and could be playing his last year in New England and, without the Golden Boy, being a coordinator under Bill Belichick may not be as enticing without a guarantee to go deep in the postseason.

McDaniels has been a head coach before, with an 18-month stint with the Denver Broncos before being fired in his second season. He was also almost on his way out the door at the end of the playoffs in 2018 to be the next coach of the Indianapolis Colts before he got cold feet. He is routinely thought of as a coaching candidate any time a vacancy comes up.

There have been no official reports of McDaniels wanting to leave New England and he was also thought of to be the successor to Belichick if the 67-year-old was to retire or move on.

The Browns job is a bit of a tough one to sell because while they have tons of talent in key spots, the culture in Cleveland is a disgrace and the Brownies don’t need a ton of game-plan magic, they need a leader of men/babysitter or in the analogy presented by ESPN’s Mina Kimes, “They need an adult in the room.”

McDaniels is also supposedly in the mix to be the next Dallas Cowboys head coach and Carolina Panthers head coach so I’d be cautious about backing him at +200 odds to see him stand Pat (see what I did there?) or take a flashier gig like in Dallas or in New York with the Giants.

My Dark-horse Pick

I know this one is a long shot because he’s got a pretty cushy job in Oklahoma but Lincoln Riley is who I’d bet on based upon opportunity and the +1800 odds. Riley is fresh off a loss in a College Football Playoff semifinal to LSU and may be looking for a change of scenery from the Big 12 to take on a bigger challenge. And there’s no bigger challenge in the NFL than rehabilitating the Cleveland Browns back to respectability.

The obvious connection is Baker Mayfield, who won the Heisman Trophy with Riley in 2017, and trying to help the QB rejuvenate his career/image after a regression in 2019 that saw him throw 22 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions.

Baker needs a coach who can get the best out of him and move this offense in the right direction. With skill players like Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., Nick Chubb and David Njoku, it’s inexcusable that the Browns were ranked 22nd in the NFL in both total passing yards and touchdowns this season.

Here is the list of candidates to coach the Cleveland Browns in 2020:

Odds as of January 2 at Sportsbook