Kevin Stefanski Not Worried About His Job Status, Focused on Future

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski continues to be unconcerned about his job status, something he said to Matt Verderame of theMMQB during tis trip to training camp in Berea.

In his trip to Berea to visit the Cleveland Browns, theMMQB's Matt Verderame spoke with head coach Kevin Stefanski, who continues to be focused on the future rather than his job status.

“We really are forward-thinking, forward-looking, if you will,” Stefanski told Sports Illustrated before Monday’s practice in Berea, Ohio. We’re really focused on what we have in front of us. I can tell you every coach, every player, we feel pressure you walk into any building, every day. We want to be great; we want to win games. That’s really where the focus is for us.”

The concept of the hot seat and speculation that if the Browns don't make the playoffs, Stefanski will lose his job misses the mark as to what's in his mind. While everyone else is focused on his job status, Stefanski is focused on coaching the job he helped engineer.

He now has the quarterback he wanted in Deshaun Watson without any limitations. Watson is added to an offense that was top 10 with Jacoby Brissett last year. They also added wide receiver Elijah Moore, who has been a star in camp as well as tight end Jordan Akins who has prior experience with Watson.

Stefanski was able to hire Jim Schwartz to be his defensive coordinator and Bubba Ventrone for special teams. This is the team he wanted to coach, so rather than focus on the what if's that can drag coaches down, Stefanski is focused on finding ways to improve the team he and general manager Andrew Berry built. As much as the Browns are poised to compete and win now, they also have an eye for the future as they want to compete for several seasons rather than just go all in on one season.

That approach is important because players take on the personality of the coach. Or at least some of it. Stefanski's messaging is deliberate and players echo what he's saying.

The prospect of falling short and being fired may enter Stefanski's mind, but he's in a business where people are hired to get fired. So if he's ultimately going to get fired, his best path forward is to go out doing it exactly the way he wants. That's what the 2023 Browns are and expectations are high for exactly that reason. Even if they have to prove it in the standings, no one disputes this team has talent.

Now it's simply a matter of proving it, but in the mean time, Kevin Stefanski is living the dream as a head coach. The rest will sort itself out at the end of the season.