Browns to interview Jim Schwartz, Tommy Rees on Thursday and request interview with Bengals OC Dan Pitcher

The Browns will search near and far for a new coach.Near will be the focus Thursday.Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees will interview for the job, a league source told The Chronicle-Telegram on Wednesday.Browns request interview with Todd Monken, who spent 2019 with them as OCSchwartz, 59, is among the favorites to land the job given the performance of the defense in his three years with the Browns, as well as his head coaching experience.Rees, 33, is widely considered a rising star in the profession and has interviewed for multiple college head coaching jobs in his two years with the Browns.The Browns also requested to interview Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher, a league source confirmed. On Tuesday they requested interviews with Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde.Schwartz has been one of the league's best coordinators since moving into the role in 2001 with the Tennessee Titans. The Browns have had arguably the NFL's best defense in his three years, leading the league in yards allowed, first downs, third-down conversion percentage and tackles for loss.How far are Browns from winning? Next four months 'crucial' as they try to fix offenseThey ranked fourth this year in total yards (283.6) and third against the pass (167.2). Myles Garrett set the NFL season sack record with 23, made his seventh Pro Bowl and is a virtual lock to be NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Cornerback Denzel Ward made his fifth Pro Bowl. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger was chosen as a Pro Bowl alternate and is the favorite to be NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year."Jim's an outstanding football coach," said general manager Andrew Berry, who's leading the coaching search. "We have a lot of respect for him, a lot of appreciation for him, and he has certainly earned the right for consideration."Berry worked with Schwartz in Philadelphia and played a role in coach Kevin Stefanski hiring him in 2023. Stefanski was fired Monday after the Browns went 8-26 over the last two seasons.Schwartz won a Super Bowl with the Eagles.He was coach of the Lions from 2009-13. He took over a team that went 0-16, compiled a 29-51 record and went to the playoffs once. He was fired after the Lions went 4-12 and 7-9 in his final two seasons.His career was sidetracked by a serious thyroid issue that affected his vision and he was limited to serving as a senior defensive assistant for the Titans in 2021-22. He's made it clear he'd like a second chance as a head coach.The coaching search: 5 intriguing candidatesSchwartz exudes confidence and demands his defense plays with a swagger. He's smart, fiery, holds players accountable and has their trust."I have so much love and respect for Coach Schwartz," Ward said. "I would highly recommend Coach Schwartz for a head coaching job here, definitely."He's a great coach. He's helped my game tremendously, puts us in great positions, great leader. I can't say enough great things about him, but I think he's a guy who you want in a coach and somebody to lead a team."Schwartz majored in economics at Georgetown and got his start in the NFL with the Browns in 1993 as a low-level scout. He moved to Baltimore with the franchise and got into coaching.Rees played quarterback at Notre Dame and called plays as the coordinator for the Fighting Irish and Alabama under coaches Brian Kelly and Nick Saban. The Browns hired him as tight ends coach in 2024 after Saban retired.Rees was promoted to coordinator this season and became the play caller at midseason after Stefanski turned over the duties. The Browns ranked 31st with 16.4 points a game but started three quarterbacks, including two rookies, and had personnel issues at receiver and on the line.Rees was a finalist last year for the North Carolina job that went to Bill Belichick and interviewed for the Penn State opening this year."He's a very talented young coordinator," Berry said. "He's held in very high regard, not just in college football, but across the NFL."Rees is considered a football savant and impressed veteran members of the coaching staff after taking over as coordinator."I learn from Tommy each and every day," quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave said. "He works really hard at his craft. He's been a step ahead of these opposing coordinators. I like being around him. I like guys who are tightly wound, and Tommy is because he cares."Pitcher has been on the Bengals staff for 10 years, including the last two as coordinator. He was the quarterbacks coach the previous three years.In 2024, Cincinnati led the NFL in passing yards per game (272.9) for the second time in team history (1975), was sixth in scoring (27.8 points) and ninth in total yards (365.5).When quarterback Joe Burrow was healthy this year, the Bengals ranked near the top of the league in many important categories. But Burrow missed nine games with a toe injury that required surgery. The Bengals finished the season 12th in scoring (24.4 points), 17th in yards (329.2) and sixth passing (235.6).Pitcher and Berry worked together in the Colts' personnel department from 2012-15."Head coach/GM relationship is a lot like a marriage," Berry said Monday. "You have to work side by side and fight back to back. And I think that that's really, really important because you have to be aligned in terms of how you're positioning the team."The post Browns to interview Jim Schwartz, Tommy Rees on Thursday and request interview with Bengals OC Dan Pitcher first appeared on BrownsZone with Scott Petrak.