The Cleveland Browns have initiated the NFL’s notorious ‘Black Monday’ by parting ways with head coach Kevin Stefanski.

After six seasons at the helm, Stefanski’s tenure in Cleveland has come to an end, following a disappointing 5-12 record this season, marking the fourth time in five years that the team has missed the playoffs.

Throughout a challenging season that saw the Browns field four different starting quarterbacks, their hopes for postseason play were dashed by Week 14 of 2025. A loss to the Tennessee Titans left them at a bleak 3-10, effectively eliminating them from playoff contention early.

Over his six-year stint, Stefanski accumulated a 45-56 record, managing to secure a winning season only twice.

In a statement addressing his departure, the team expressed, “We are deeply thankful for Kevin’s leadership with the Cleveland Browns over the past six seasons.”

‘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. 

The Cleveland Browns have made the first move on ‘Black Monday’ by firing Kevin Stefanski

Stefanski just ended his sixth year as Browns coach, in which they missed out on the playoffs

‘We wish Kevin, Michelle and the Stefanski family all the best in the future.’

The Browns confirmed that general manager Andrew Berry, who joined the same year as Stefanski, will continue in the role despite the head coach’s exit.  

‘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,’ their statement continued. 

‘Andrew will immediately begin our thorough process to find an outstanding new head coach and leader of our football team. We have an exciting young core to build upon, and Andrew and his team are intent on adding talent to this core and building out a roster that can achieve sustainable success.’

Stefanski, who took on his first head-coaching job in Cleveland after working his way up to become offensive coordinator in 15 years with the Minnesota Vikings, reached the playoffs in his first season in charge while going 11-5, before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional round.

His Browns team then failed to get back to the postseason in the next two (8-9 and 7-10) before an impressive 11-6 season led them back there in 2023. However, it was one-and-done for Cleveland after a Wild Card defeat to the Houston Texans.

In 2024 they endured the most disastrous year of Stefanski’s reign after going 3-14, before this season’s 5-12 nightmare proved the final nail in the coffin.

He promoted Shedeur Sanders (left) to starting quarterback early December amid their woes

But as expected for a rookie, Sanders proved inconsistent under center over the past month

Stefanski leaves Cleveland with a 45-56 record overall and two playoff berths in six seasons

Stefanski, who took on his first head-coaching job in Cleveland after working his way up to become offensive coordinator in 15 years with the Minnesota Vikings, reached the playoffs in his first season in charge while going 11-5, before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional round.

His Browns team then failed to get back to the postseason in the next two (8-9 and 7-10) before an impressive 11-6 season led them back there in 2023. However, it was one-and-done for Cleveland after a Wild Card defeat to the Houston Texans.

In 2024 they endured the most disastrous year of Stefanski’s reign after going 3-14, before this season’s 5-12 nightmare proved the final nail in the coffin.

The quarterback position was his Achilles heel in Cleveland, where the expensive DeShaun Watson – who joined on a five-year, $230million contract in 2022 – has been plagued by injuries while facing nearly two dozen lawsuits surrounding allegations of sexual misconduct, most of which he agreed to settle.

The Browns recently drafted two quarterbacks in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, but neither have set the world alight.

Sanders opened up on his bond with the head coach after their last game of the season Sunday

Sanders, the son of NFL icon Deion Sanders, was handed the starter’s job early December after impressing when deputizing for an injured Gabriel, but as expected for a rookie, he has proven inconsistent under center.

Before Stefanski’s exit on Monday, the 23-year-old said about his now former head coach after their regular-season finale on Sunday: ‘He’s been real tough. He’s been tough and it’s good. I grew and learned a lot from him.

‘This week we had a conversation, just about things in general and I feel like we grew to understand each other. We would share different things that we would both go through.

‘I know he wanted this win, and I know he wants every win, but I know that this one means a lot. I wish we all played as a team, and I wish we could have done more personally within this last year.’