For years, the Cleveland Browns‘ struggles were largely due to instability at coach and in the front office. Those days are over now, as the Browns have announced that they have extended the contracts Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry.
Stefanski and Berry were both hired in 2020. Since then, the Browns have compiled a .552 winning percentage, the franchise’s best mark over a four-year span since 1986-89. The Browns have also made the playoffs twice over that span and in 2020 won the franchise’s first playoff game since 1994.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry leading the Cleveland Browns,” Browns managing and principal Partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement. “Since the day they were hired, each has worked tirelessly to help the Cleveland Browns win. We are proud of what they and the team have achieved, but Kevin and Andrew would be the first to say that Browns fans deserve even more. Their leadership, collaborative approach, and ability to overcome obstacles bode well for the future of this franchise.
“Last season was a prime example,” Dee and Jimmy Haslam continued. “Despite facing multiple player injuries and using five different starting quarterbacks, Andrew and his staff built a roster that adapted well, while Kevin and his staff led the team to its second playoff appearance in four years, earning Coach of the Year honors for the second time in that period. They are two of the brightest people we know, and selfless people who only care about what is best for the Cleveland Browns. We are thrilled that Kevin and Andrew will remain with the team for the future.”
Stefanski, who also serves as the Browns’ play-caller, is the first Browns coach since Bill Belichick to make it to his fifth season. The 42-year-old was a longtime Vikings assistant before getting his first coaching opportunity in Cleveland. He won Coach of the Year honors in 2020 and 2023, leading the Browns to the playoffs both seasons. Last year, despite a rash of injuries, the Browns went 11-6 and captured a wild-card playoff berth.
Berry, 37, broke into the NFL as a scout with the Colts in 2009, helping Indianapolis win the AFC title that season. After seven seasons in Indianapolis (eventually moving up to pro scouting coordinator), Berry then spent four years as the Browns’ vice president of player personnel before spending one year as the Eagles‘ VP of football operations.
Berry played college football at Harvard while graduating with a degree in economics and a master’s degree in computer science.
