BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns have long awaited stability and continuity within the organization, for decades going through a carousel of coaches and general managers. On Wednesday, stability came in the form of contract extensions for head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry.
For the past several months, contract extensions for the two Browns leaders have been in the works. Owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam made it clear their intentions were to lock up Stefanski and Berry for years to come. “We’re in the process of working through things so that Kevin and Andrew would be with us for an extended period of time,” Jimmy Haslam said in March.Berry and Stefanski were hired by the Browns in 2020. In that time, the two have managed to create a culture shift within the organization, with Berry being able to sign high-end talent via free agency and retain players who might normally have tried their best to relocate.
Since having Berry and Stefanski at the helm, the Browns made it to their first playoff appearance since 2002 and broke a 26-year playoff victory drought. The two have seen the Browns hold a 37-30 record, and Stefanski's team has gone on to have multiple 11-win seasons, the first coach to achieve that since Paul Brown in 1951 and 1953.
Berry's success in extending players like Joel Bitonio, Myles Garrett, David Njoku and Denzel Ward has been complemented by Stefanski's success in leading them on the field. Last season, the Browns had seven Pro Bowlers and Stefanski won his second Coach of the Year award with the team, the first honor coming his debut season.