One year ago today, on January 12th, 2020, the Cleveland Browns set out a new course. The team hired Kevin Stefanski as the new head coach, replacing the fired Freddie Kitchens.
Stefanski was not well-known even though he was a finalist and serious candidate one year earlier. The Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator represented a different kind of personality and structure from the recent Browns coaches.
So far, so great! Stefanski guided the Browns to an 11-5 record in his rookie campaign. The Browns franchise made the postseason for the first time since the 2002 season and captured the first playoff victory for the organization since the 1994 campaign.
The move to hire Stefanski, ironically enough, was not wildly popular at the time. In a Twitter poll of over 15,000 Browns fans, more than 57 percent admitted they didn’t like it at the time:
Do you like the @browns hiring of Kevin Stefanski as HC?
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) January 12, 2020
Thank you for a great first year, coach Stefanski!
