The Cleveland Browns' coaching search is starting to look... complicated.
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Several candidates have already bowed out of Cleveland's head coaching process, and the common thread appears to be the organization's loyalty to defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
Grant Udinski, Mike McDaniel and Jesse Minter have all withdrawn from consideration. McDaniel pivoted to an offensive coordinator role with the Chargers, Udinski may stay in Jacksonville in a similar capacity, and Minter quickly landed the Ravens job after exiting Cleveland's search.
Behind the scenes, there is growing belief that some candidates are hesitant to take the Browns job if Schwartz is essentially locked in as defensive coordinator. That dynamic may be steering the process toward the simplest path: Promoting Schwartz.
Reports indicate Schwartz remains firmly in the mix for the top job, with Cleveland.com noting he is gaining momentum. Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken is reportedly open to keeping Schwartz on staff, while other remaining candidates include Anthony Lynn and Rams passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase.
Ownership's stance is not exactly subtle. Jimmy Haslam has publicly emphasized how highly the team values Schwartz and wants him in the building. That loyalty, combined with a shrinking candidate pool, has fueled the perception that Schwartz is the internal favorite.
Cleveland's process has also drawn attention for its unusual elements, including reports of essay submissions and personality testing for candidates.
Whether simply promoting Schwartz is the right football decision is still up for debate. But it is increasingly looking like the most likely one.
