The Cleveland Browns made their direction clear Monday. Head coach Kevin Stefanski is out. General manager Andrew Berry is staying and will lead the search for the next coach.
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Both Stefanski and Berry were hired ahead of the 2020 season, which made the split decision a natural point of focus when owner Jimmy Haslam met with reporters. Haslam did not mince words about the results, calling eight total wins over the past two seasons "totally unacceptable." At the same time, he made it clear he believes Berry has earned the chance to keep running football operations.
Haslam said Berry "has done a very good job" over the past year, pointing specifically to the trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars at the top of last year's draft and additions such as Maliek Collins and Carson Schwesinger.
Quarterback remains the most obvious unresolved issue on the roster, but Haslam was firm when asked whether the team was good enough to expect better results than it delivered.
"It's easy for me to say yes," Haslam said, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. "So yeah, I think it was good enough to win more games."
That assessment will not be universally shared, but it explains the organization's choice. Haslam clearly believes the roster was capable of more and that the head coach bore greater responsibility for the record than the general manager.
Berry now moves forward with the task of finding Stefanski's replacement. Whether the Browns' bet on continuity in the front office proves to be the right one will play out over the months ahead.
