The Cleveland Browns encountered a further setback in their pursuit of a new head coach on Thursday.
This development occurred because Jesse Minter, the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers for the last two seasons, opted not to proceed with his planned second interview today with the Browns organization.
As per reports from Mary Kay Cabot at cleveland.com, Minter apparently perceives more promising prospects elsewhere, having garnered attention from the Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Baltimore Ravens.
Minter was among a group of five potential candidates the Browns had intended to bring in for a second round of discussions, alongside their current defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz (who has already completed his interview), Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken (also completed), Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski (slated for Friday), and Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase (anticipated for sometime next week).
This marks the second instance this week where a prospective hire has indicated that Cleveland was not their top choice.
Earlier this week on Tuesday, Mike McDaniel communicated to the team his decision to remove himself from contention, thereafter taking on the role of offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers.
While missing out on McDaniel probably isn’t a catastrophic blow, it does obligate the Browns to conduct an interview with an additional minority candidate to satisfy the NFL’s Rooney Rule. Should Scheelhaase’s second interview proceed as anticipated, that would account for one minority candidate, yet general manager Andrew Berry would remain under the requirement to interview another.
Naturally, Cleveland is one among several teams seeking a head coach, meaning they face rivalry for each of their four remaining prospects:
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Schwartz – Has already held discussions for the Baltimore Ravens’ top coaching role
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Monken – Is anticipated to become the New York Giants’ offensive coordinator should he not secure the Browns’ head coaching vacancy
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Udinski – The Buffalo Bills have sought permission to interview Udinski regarding their head coaching opportunity
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Scheelhaase – Has conducted interviews with the Ravens, Raiders, and Steelers organizations
The beginning of the week saw the Browns with a well-defined interview agenda, however, McDaniel and Minter’s actions completely disrupted those arrangements.
One can hope that Berry is leveraging his now-open schedule to determine the most advantageous method for concluding this head coach quest.
