ROCKY RIVER, Ohio — It was some unconventional praise from a rested and refreshed staple of the Cleveland Browns offense.
But coming from Joel Bitonio, the seven-time Pro Bowl left guard who opted to return to Cleveland for his 12th NFL season rather than retiring, new O-line coach Mike Bloomgren had to be happy to hear a key player’s first impression of him.
“You get these clips and then he gets out on the field and you feel his presence,” Bitonio said at the Browns 25th Annual Cleveland Browns Foundation Golf Tournament at Westwood Country Club. “The O-line coach kind of needs to be a (expletive). You need that, and it kind of rubs off on the guys and he’s been great.”
Bloomgren was one of the first coaching hires head coach Kevin Stefanski and Cleveland made in January, replacing the fired Andy Dickerson.
Dickerson lasted only a year after taking over for the well-respected Bill Callahan, amid offensive turmoil and slew of injuries to the O-line that saw Cleveland fielding seven different combinations over the first eight games. By the second half of the season, then-Browns consultant Mike Vrabel moved over from tight ends to help coach the O-line.
The previous seven seasons, Bloomgren was the head coach at Rice before being fired in October. There, he led the team to a 24-52 record and back-to-back bowl game appearances in 2022 and 2023 for only the fourth time in program history.
He broke into the NFL with the Jets in 2007, where he spent two seasons as a quality control coach under Brian Schottenheimer and Callahan. He was promoted to offensive assistant in 2009, and 2010 he became assistant OC as the Jets finished with an 11-5 record.
After Bloomgren’s first stint in the NFL, he returned to the college ranks in 2011 at Stanford. There he served as the running game coordinator and offensive line coach for two seasons. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2013, leading their pro-style scheme and coaching both Andrew Luck and Christian McCaffrey, who each became Heisman Trophy finalists.
The “clips” Bitonio referenced in his answer were from those previous Bloomgren stops.
“He’s a true O-line coach,” Bitonio said. “He gets nitty gritty in the details. He’s focused every day on getting something better. You feel his energy. He was a head coach obviously for a long time, but he worked with Stanford and the Jets and he is pulling up clips of (former Stanford and Steelers guard) David DeCastro in college pulling and stuff, things where you’re like, alright, this is some O-line stuff right here.”
Bloomgren’s hiring wasn’t [the only change for the offense](https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2025/06/browns-guard-joel-bitonio-is-back-and-ready-to-pave-the-way-for-a-return-to-a-powerful-run-game.html), which is looking to get back to its once strong run game after last year’s 3-14 finish.
The Browns also fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey after one season, promoted Tommy Rees, and had Stefanski take back the play-calling duties. They also drafted two running backs and a tight end and built a stable of quarterbacks who should fit this scheme, including Joe Flacco, who revived his career in a similar system here in 2023.
Since Bloomgren came up under Callahan (whom Stefanski even spoke with before making the hire) means he also has plenty of familiarity with the outside zone and power schemes that this core of the O-line has done so well.
In many ways, Bloomgren’s philosophies are already second nature to Bitonio and the other O-line vets.
“I think he’s developing the young guys trying to get them work, but it’s been awesome,” Bitonio continued. “We had dinner, he just kind of talked about his philosophies and his family, my family, what we expect, and he’s like, ‘Oh, you could play for four more years.” And I was like, ‘Alright, we’re talking a little crazy now.’ But no, it was good and so far so good.”
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