Jimmy Haslam on keeping Andrew Berry amid firing Kevin Stefanski

ByNBAUSA



Black Monday arrived in Cleveland with a partial house cleaning. The Cleveland Browns replaced head coach Kevin Stefanski of his duties after a disappointing campaign, but in a move that raised eyebrows across the league, the owner Jimmy Haslam decided to retain CEO Andrew Berry.

Deciding to split the power structure, keeping the architect of the roster while firing the leader on the field, is always a gamble. Speaking to the media on Monday, Haslam was quick to defend his selection, citing Berry’s recent track record in acquiring talent as the primary reason for his continued hiring.

“I think Andrew has done a very good job over the last year,” Haslam told reporters. “And I want to go through that because I think it’s important to talk about the moves he’s made to strengthen our team.”

Haslam specifically pointed to the defensive interior as evidence of Barry’s ability. In a season where bright spots have been hard to come by, the acquisition of defensive tackle Malik Collins stood out as an acquisition.

“We added one player, made a significant difference to our football team, and that was Malik Collins,” Haslam said.

Collins, who joined the Browns via trade, has become an anchor in the middle of the defense, creating an interior disruption that Cleveland has lacked in previous years. For Haslam, the move illustrated Berry’s ability to identify and secure impact veterans, even if the team’s overall record doesn’t reflect the level of talent on the roster.

Retaining Barry creates enormous pressure upcoming search for coaches. The general manager will now be tasked with hiring his second head coach, a luxury few executives get in the NFL.

Dynamics in Berea will be under the microscope; the new coach will need to mesh with Berry’s analytics-driven front office immediately, or the Browns could be back in this position in a year.





2026-01-06 04:27:00

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