The Cleveland Browns hired Todd Monken as the franchise’s 19th full-time head coach at the end of January.
It was a smart move, as the 60-year-old Monken has considerable experience running an offense and is familiar with the AFC North Division after spending the past three seasons as offensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens.
It is not without its risks, of course, as this will be Monken’s first shot at being a head coach at the NFL level, with his only previous head coaching experience coming
at Southern Mississippi from 2013 to 2015.
The Browns interviewed a variety of interesting candidates, but Monken was the preferred choice of owner Jimmy Haslam, and everything has always worked out when ownership has gotten involved in football decisions.
Monken will get his first taste of being the head man in a game that counts when the Browns open the 2026 season against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 13.
It has been three years since the Browns won their opening game, a 24-3 defeat of the Cincinnati Bengals that saw quarterback Deshaun Watson pass and run for a touchdown in the victory.
That won’t be the only streak that Monken will be looking to break, as the recent fate of Cleveland head coaches in their first game has been bleak.
Would anyone be surprised to learn that Bud Carson was the last full-time head coach to win his Cleveland debut? And that came in 1989 in a 51-0 beatdown of the Pittsburgh Steelers?
Since then, 11 full-time head coaches have come and gone in Cleveland, and not a single one kicked off their tenure with a victory.
While we wait to see what Monken has in store for the Jaguars, let’s take a run through how each of Cleveland’s 18 full-time head coaches fared in their first game on the sidelines.
Paul Brown – 1950
The NFL thought it was being clever when it scheduled the Browns to open the 1950 season on the road against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. Cleveland was coming off four years of dominance in the All-America Football Conference, and the Eagles were going to teach the upstarts a lesson.
The Browns did not get the memo, however, and rolled to 448 yards of offense in a 35-10 victory that announced to the rest of the NFL that a new top dog was in town. Final record: 10-2 and the NFL Championship.
Blanton Collier – 1963
In the first game in franchise history without Paul Brown as head coach, it was another blowout in the debut of the Blanton Collier tenure. Cleveland had 543 yards of offense, with Jim Brown combining for 262 rushing and receiving yards, as the Browns took down Washington by a score of 37-14. Final record: 10-4 and a Playoff Bowl loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Nick Skorich – 1971
Another new head coach, another victory as the Browns opened their campaign under head coach Nick Skorich with a 31-0 win against the Houston Oilers. Quarterback Bill Nelsen led an effective offense, but it was a day for the defense as Cleveland held the Oilers to 35 rushing yards and forced six turnovers, including five interceptions. Final record: 9-5 and a Divisional Playoff loss to the Baltimore Colts.
Forrest Gregg – 1975
All good things must come to an end, a lesson that Forrest Gregg learned in his first game as head coach of the Browns. Trailing 24-3 midway through the third quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland rallied behind a Gregg Pruitt touchdown run and a recovered fumble in the end zone by linebacker Charlie Hall to pull within seven points heading into the fourth quarter.
The Browns threatened to tie the score, but two drives inside Cincinnati’s two-yard line ended up with zero points as the Bengals held on for the victory. Final record: 3-11, fourth place in the AFC Central Division.
Sam Rutigliano – 1978
Sam Rutigliano was on the sidelines when the Browns opened the 1978 season at home against the San Francisco 49ers. Cleveland broke open a close game in the fourth quarter thanks to a 69-yard touchdown pass from Brian Sipe to Reggie Rucker, then closed out the scoring with a 23-yard field goal by Don Cockroft. Final record: 8-8, third place in the AFC Central Division.
Marty Schottenheimer – 1985
Marty Schottenheimer took over as interim head coach midway through the 1984 season after Sam Rutigliano was fired, so this game serves as Schottenheimer’s first as the full-time head coach. And the game gave Cleveland fans a taste of the excitement to come in the next few years.
The Browns rallied with 21 points in the fourth quarter, highlighted by Ozzie Newsome’s 25-yard catch-and-run touchdown to give Cleveland a seven-point lead with 38 seconds remaining against the St. Louis Cardinals. But the Cardinals used a 43-yard screen pass to Ottis Anderson to set up a game-tying touchdown to force overtime. St Louis won the toss in overtime, and then the game, as Neil O’Donoghue converted a 35-yard field goal. Final record: 8-8 and a Divisional Playoff loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Bud Carson – 1989
In what was arguably the highlight of the Bud Carson era as a head coach, the Browns went into Pittsburgh in Week 1 and steamrolled the Steelers by a score of 51-0. Cleveland’s defense held Pittsburgh to 53 yards of total offense, sacked Pittsburgh quarterback Bubby Brister six times, and forced eight turnovers, three of which they turned into defensive scores. Final record: 9-6-1, with a loss in the AFC Championship Game to the Denver Broncos.
Bill Belichick – 1991
It was a dreary start for the Browns under head coach Bill Belichick, as the offense managed only 32 rushing yards as Cleveland lost to the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 26-14. The Browns were trailing 13 points at halftime, but quickly cut into the deficit when Bernie Kosar hit Webster Slaughter on a 62-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second half. The offense went cold from there, however, and the Cowboys closed out the scoring with a pair of field goals in the fourth quarter. Final record: 6-10, third place in the AFC Central Division.
Chris Palmer – 1999
After three years without football, the Browns returned to the NFL to open the 1999 season at home on national television against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first game under head coach Chris Palmer. There was no Hollywood ending, however, as the Browns managed just 40 yards of total offense, nine rushing yards, and two first downs in a 43-0 defeat. Final record: 2-14, sixth place in the AFC Central Division.
Butch Davis – 2001
Points were hard to find in the first game under head coach Butch Davis. The game turned into a battle of field goals, with Phil Dawson’s 22-yarder tying the score at 6 with two minutes remaining. But a 49-yard kickoff return set up Seattle on the ensuing possession, and Rian Lindell converted a 52-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to leave the Browns on the wrong end of a 9-6 final score. Final record: 7-9, third place in the AFC Central Division.
Romeo Crennel – 2005
It was another ugly day for the Browns in the debut of head coach Romeo Crennel, as the defense allowed 420 yards of total offense, and penalties wiped out a punt return touchdown and an interception return for a touchdown in what would be a 27-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. While Frisman Jackson posted the only 100-yard receiving game of his career, three turnovers from quarterback Trent Dilfer kept the offense from putting up a stronger fight. Final record: 6-10, fourth place in the AFC North Division.
Eric Mangini – 2009
Cleveland took a three-point lead into halftime against the Minnesota Vikings thanks to a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown by Josh Cribbs, but it was all Vikings in the second half of a 34-20 loss in Eric Mangini’s first game as head coach. Cleveland had no answer for Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson in the second half as he rushed for 155 yards and scored two of his three touchdowns as the Vikings pulled away. Final record: 5-11, fourth place in the AFC North Division.
Pat Shurmur – 2011
Things were looking good for the Browns in their first game under head coach Pat Shurmur as they entered the fourth quarter with a 17-13 lead over the Cincinnati Bengals. But backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski used a quick snap to catch Cleveland’s defense unaware and hit A.J. Green with a 41-yard touchdown pass to move Cincinnati into the lead with a little more than four minutes remaining. The Browns managed just one first down on their next two offensive drives, and then the Bengals put the game away with a 39-yard touchdown run by Cedric Benson. Final record: 4-12, fourth place in the AFC North Division.
Rob Chudzinski – 2013
Another new head coach, another Week 1 loss for the Browns, this time a 23-10 defeat at the hands of the Miami Dolphins. Cleveland quarterback Brandon Weeden was sacked six times while passing for 289 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions. Trent Richardson managed just 47 rushing yards on 13 carries as the only Cleveland running back to carry the ball. Final record: 4-12, fourth place in the AFC North Division.
Mike Pettine – 2014
A year later, the Browns were back with yet another new head coach, this time the defensive-minded Mike Pettine. The Browns fell behind the Steelers at the half by a score of 27-3, but rallied in the second half and tied the score at 27 after Brian Hoyer hit Travis Benjamin with a nine-yard touchdown pass at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Cleveland punted on its next two drives, and the Steelers pulled out the win on a 41-yard field goal by Scott Suisham. Final record: 7-9, fourth place in the AFC North Division
Hue Jackson – 2016
The Browns gave fans an early glimpse of what life would be like under head coach Hue Jackson as they lost his first game in charge by a score of 29-10 to the Philadelphia Eagles. Cleveland managed only three points in the second half, and the defense allowed rookie Carson Wentz to throw for 278 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. It was a day of miscues, a trademark under Jackson, highlighted by center Cameron Erving snapping the ball over Robert Griffin III’s head and into the end zone for a safety. Final record: 1-15, fourth place in the AFC North Division.
Freddie Kitchens – 2019
If Bud Carson in 1989 is the most shocking debut of a head coach in franchise history, then the debut of Freddie Kitchens in 2019 is a close second. A raucous home crowd was ready to see the offense light up the scoreboard, but 18 penalties, three interceptions by quarterback Baker Mayfield, and five sacks by the Tennessee Titans defense turned the game into a rout, as the Browns trudged off the field on the wrong end of a 43-13 score. Final record: 6-10, third place in the AFC North Division.
Kevin Stefanski – 2020
It looked like more of the same as the Browns walked off the field in Baltimore, as the scoreboard showed a 38-6 win for the Ravens in the first game with Kevin Stefanski as head coach. Not much went right that day for the Browns as they turned the ball over three times, missed two field goals, and were unsuccessful on a fake punt attempt.
No one knew it at the time, but the Browns were about to go on an unexpected run to the playoffs. All it took was getting rid of a washed-up Odell Beckham Jr., Mayfield finding his mojo, and the team discovering an uncharacteristic amount of resiliency during the COVID-19 season. Cleveland quickly ripped off four consecutive wins, part of a 9-2 run, to secure a playoff spot, where they easily handled the Pittsburgh Steelers before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs. Final record: 11-5 with a Divisional Round loss to Kansas City.
There you have it, the glorious history of how the Browns have done in the first game under their full-time head coaches. It’s Monken’s turn in a week, and after 11 consecutive losses, it seems like the Browns are due for a little bit of luck.
After all, the streak has to end sometime… right?
