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The Browns have requested to interview Rams' passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase for their head coach opening
The Cleveland Browns have already undergone quite a bit of change this offseason. After firing head coach Kevin Stefanski, their coaching staff heading into the 2026 campaign looks virtually nothing like it did just a couple of months ago. Todd Monken has taken over as the team’s head coach, and he’s quickly revamped his coaching staff in the process.
Not many guys from last season’s staff are still around, but one guy who is still with Cleveland is Ephraim Banda. After drawing interest for several defensive coordinator vacancies across the league early this offseason, Banda received some big news on Friday morning regarding his future with the Browns.
Browns Promote Ephraim Banda to Defensive Pass Game Coordinator
Tom Pelissero
The Browns are promoting safeties coach Ephraim Banda to pass game coordinator, per source.
Banda interviewed this cycle for several defensive coordinator jobs, including with the Patriots. But he’ll stay in Cleveland as a top assistant to new DC Mike Rutenberg.
Cleveland’s decision to hire Monken as its new head coach had ramifications across the board when it came to its coaching staff. The team’s defensive coordinator from 2025, Jim Schwartz, was upset to have not been promoted to head coach, and he promptly resigned, despite the Browns wanting him to remain in town as Monken’s defensive coordinator.
That forced Monken to find a replacement for Schwartz, and he eventually settled on Mike Rutenberg to come in and be his guy. Monken made it clear, though, that he wanted to keep the majority of Schwartz’s system in place, which led to Banda, who was the team’s safeties coach in 2025, drawing consideration for the job.
Banda, who has been with the Browns since 2023, also drew interest from other teams, such as the New England Patriots, for their defensive coordinator openings. Ultimately, he did not manage to land another job with a different team, but the good news is that Monken wants to keep him in town. In fact, he went out of his way to promote Banda early in the offseason, as he will become Cleveland’s new defensive pass game coordinator.
“The Browns are promoting safeties coach Ephraim Banda to pass game coordinator, per source,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported in a post on X. “Banda interviewed this cycle for several defensive coordinator jobs, including with the Patriots. But he’ll stay in Cleveland as a top assistant to new DC Mike Rutenberg.”
Browns New-Look Coaching Staff is Nearly Complete
Todd Monken answers questions from the media after being introduced as head coach of the Cleveland Browns
GettyTodd Monken answers questions from the media after being introduced as head coach of the Cleveland Browns
The Browns have had to do quite a bit of work when it comes to assembling their coaching staff, but they are almost at the finish line in this department. Keeping Banda around is a big win for Cleveland, as he’s familiar with Schwartz’s defensive scheme from last season, which should make him one of Rutenberg’s most trusted allies as he transitions into the team’s defensive coordinator role.
With Monken’s coaching staff nearly complete, the Browns will soon turn their attention to more pressing matters this offseason. Simply put, this roster needs work, and the front office is going to have to push all the right buttons in free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft when it comes to upgrading this team. A strong coaching staff is great, but if the roster isn’t up to par, the work they are putting in will go to waste.