Following Todd Monke’s hiring as the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Jim Schwartz has decided to resign as the team’s defensive coordinator. He helped the team become one of the best defensive teams in the NFL this 2025 season, giving them an incredible tool.
Here is the team’s statement on the matter:
“Yesterday, Jim Schwartz submitted his letter of resignation as defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns. We’d like to thank Jim for his contributions to our organization over the last three seasons. Our search for a new defensive coordinator will begin immediately.”
Here are the best options that Cleveland could look at to replace Jim Schwartz.
Top 5 Jim Schwartz Replacements for the Cleveland Browns
#5 Dino Vasso
The Browns have been linked with the Texans defensive backs coach. While Vasso doesn’t yet have defensive coordinator experience, he brings an interesting set of credentials. He has been with Houston since 2021, starting as a cornerbacks coach and was promoted to defensive backs coach in 2023.
He has been key to making the team the league’s top defense. Before that, he worked with the Philadelphia Eagles as a defensive quality control/assistant secondary coach (2016-2019) and as an assistant defense coordinator (2020), helping them win Super Bowl LII. Interestingly, he started his career as an offensive intern in 2011, before being a defensive graduate assistant at Missouri in 2012.
#4 Ephraim Banda
How about an internal promotion? It doesn’t seem that unlikely considering that the team has one of the best defensive units in the NFL, so clearly they have been doing some things properly. He has also been courted by other teams this coaching cycle, like the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Jets.
He does have defensive coordinator experience, but at the college level. As a defensive coordinator for Utah State (2021-2022) and co-defensive coordinator at Miami (2019-2020).
#3 Zach Orr
What if Todd Monken wants to bring a bit of the Ravens to the Browns? Monken was the Ravens’ offensive coordinator until recently, and he might decide to bring in his defensive counterpart at Baltimore.
Orr is better known for his playing career between 2014 and 2016, which started auspiciously with a Second Team All-Pro selection in 2016. However, he was forced to retire early with a congenital spine issue and has since grown as a coach, mostly with the Ravens. He was their defensive coordinator for the past two years.
#2 Jason Tarver
This is another option for internal promotion for the Cleveland Browns. He’s their linebackers coach since 2020. He has a plethora of experience as a defensive coordinator at the NFL and college levels.
He was Stanford’s co-defensive coordinator for the 2011 season. Then he was hired by the Oakland Raiders as their defensive coordinator between 2012 and 2014. More recently, he was Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator between 2018 and 2019.
#1 Cory Undlin
Clearly, the Cleveland Browns are in awe of what the Houston Texans have achieved with their defense, since they’re taking a look at two of their coaches for their defensive coordinator vacancy. Defensive passing game coordinator Cory Undlin is also on their radar. He has been with the Texans since 2023, a bit less time than Vasso.
Interestingly, he was also on the Super Bowl LII coaching winning staff in 2017, as their defensive backs coach. He was also on the Super Bowl XXXIX staff for the New England Patriots as a defensive coaching assistant. He brings almost three decades of coaching experience at the college and NFL levels.
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