In Cleveland, the head coach search may be complete, and the offensive coordinator is in place, but now attention turns to the other side of the ball. With Jim Schwartz not returning for the 2026 season, first-year head coach Todd Monken is facing his first major test. The task is clear: find the right voice to guide a unit built around superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett and preserve the identity that powered Cleveland’s defense a season ago. And now, it appears he has two early options on the table.

“With hopes of keeping the system together for their talented group,” insider Ian Rapoport posted on X. “The #Browns may look to a couple of assistants on the staff of Jim Schwartz disciple Matt Burke — Dino Vasso and Cory Undlin.”

Monken could be looking toward a familiar coaching tree to fill the role. The connection with two target candidates that have emerged: Cory Undlin, the Houston Texans’ defensive passing-game coordinator, and Dino Vasso, the team’s defensive backs coach, doesn’t seem to be random.

Matt Burke’s defensive structure is rooted directly in Schwartz’s system, dating back to 2020 when Burke served as run-game coordinator and defensive line coach while Schwartz was the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles. While that Eagles unit finished 20th in points allowed, Burke’s continued rise eventually landed him Houston’s defensive coordinator job in 2023, and he brought both Vasso and Undlin with him to build continuity.

He kept Vasso on his staff and added Undlin as the team’s defensive passing-game coordinator, a pairing that quickly helped turn Houston into one of the league’s most disciplined and explosive defensive groups in 2025.

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Vasso, just 38 years old and now five seasons into his Houston tenure, has been a central figure behind a secondary widely viewed as one of the NFL’s best. His work has already drawn interest across the league, including recent traction for the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals coordinator openings, momentum that now places Cleveland firmly in the mix.

As for Undlin, who joined the Texans in 2023, his résumé carries both experience and familiarity with Monken’s coaching past. Under Undlin’s watch, Houston finished the 2025 season with one of the NFL’s top pass defenses and an elite unit overall, allowing just 179.3 passing yards per game while holding opposing quarterbacks to a 76.2 passer rating.

Overall, the defense ranked second in points allowed and first in total yards surrendered at just 277.2 yards per game. They also finished second in takeaways, with four different defenders recording at least four interceptions. Put simply, if the Browns do bring in Vasso or Undlin for interviews, they’d be evaluating coaches coming off a season in which their defense ranked among the league’s best.

Beyond the numbers, Undlin’s candidacy carries another layer of intrigue; he previously coached alongside Monken in Jacksonville from 2009 to 2010 and even spent four seasons on Cleveland’s staff earlier in his career, giving him rare familiarity with both the organization and its new head coach.

Add in the built-in familiarity through Burke and Schwartz’s coaching tree, and it’s easy to see why Cleveland could view either option as a natural fit to replace Schwartz, especially as the franchise looks to protect a defensive identity that remained a strength even during a turbulent 2025 campaign.

Myles Garrett’s defensive coordinator to sit out the 2026 season

Jim Schwartz was one of the leading internal candidates to replace Kevin Stefanski as the Browns’ head coach. After a long and grueling interview process that saw multiple candidates drop out, Schwartz briefly became the frontrunner before Monken surged late and secured the job.

However, once Cleveland chose to hire Todd Monken instead of promoting their defensive coordinator, Schwartz reportedly didn’t take the decision lightly. While the Browns were interested in retaining him, Schwartz had already made up his mind and opted not to return, despite still being under contract.

Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo reported on Friday that Schwartz will not be back for the 2026 season, as he submitted his resignation letter. The move marks the end of his tenure in Cleveland after three seasons as defensive coordinator. It’s also the same franchise where Myles Garrett set the single-season sack record in 2025 and went on to win Defensive Player of the Year.

“I think Jim is an outstanding defensive coordinator, I think we all would agree with that,” Monken had said when asked about Schwartz’s status earlier in the week during his introductory news conference. “But I think it’s a little inappropriate for me to comment about that at this time.”

Even with Schwartz’s departure now official, his impact on Cleveland’s defense in 2025 is clear. Despite a disappointing regular-season finish, the Browns turned in a strong defensive showing, ranking 14th in the NFL in scoring defense with 379 total points allowed.

They were even better in yardage, finishing fourth overall in total yards allowed per game. Now, with Schwartz not returning in 2026, Cleveland will shift its focus to finding a new defensive coordinator capable of sustaining that momentum.