In the wake of Kirby Smart’s recent praise for his former coordinator, Todd Monken has been compelled to address his ‘tough decision’ to leave the Georgia dynasty he helped build. To this day, Monken remains one of the most popular coaches among the Bulldogs’ fanbase. He finally came clean about why he decided to jump the gun and leave the program after one of its most sensational runs in college football.

“It’s surreal. It is everything you work for your whole career,” Monken said in a video shared by the Browns on X. “It’s the whole reason I came back to the NFL. The reason I left Georgia. (To) Give yourself a chance to be a head coach in the NFL (to) be one of the 32 (head coaches).”

The former Georgia offensive coordinator left a big hole in the UGA staff when he left for the NFL in 2023. He was simply brilliant at the position for the Bulldogs, helping them win two back-to-back National Championships in 2021 and 2022. He also won the Bulldogs an SEC championship during their unbeaten 2022 season. In 2023, Monken took a huge risk by leaving the program during a golden time. His reason for making that gamble proves that the decision was more than just a career move.

But the road from Athens to Cleveland wasn’t a straight line. It was a three-year detour through Baltimore that both validated Monken’s offensive genius and reminded him why the jump to head coach is never guaranteed. 

After leaving Georgia in February 2023, Monken took over as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator and made his mark. He helped Lamar Jackson capture his second MVP award while building one of the league’s most explosive attacks. Over his first two seasons in Baltimore, the Ravens averaged 29.4 points per game and 397.6 yards per game. Monken’s spread concepts and quick-game passing unlocked levels of efficiency Jackson had never reached. 

But the 2025 season turned sour. Jackson battled injuries, playing just 13 games while absorbing 36 sacks. The offense that once looked unstoppable became predictable and stagnant. When the Ravens missed the playoffs and head coach John Harbaugh was fired, Monken also left the Ravens, but with a résumé that screamed head coaching material. 

The Browns came calling in late January 2026, and they offered him the head-coaching job and the chance to finally run his own program at 59 years old. It was the opportunity he’d been chasing since leaving Georgia, the reason he’d taken the risk in the first place, and now, three years of NFL proving ground later, he’d earned it.

At 59, Todd Monken will finally get to live his dream, but the journey to it has been made possible by the prolific stops he’s made along the way. Monken struggled when Georgia star Stetson Bennett IV faltered, but he stuck with the QB, who eventually went on to become a Heisman finalist. The former OC’s stellar 2022 offense was averaging 41 points and helped Georgia remain unbeaten. No wonder fans miss him.

Before his Georgia stint, Todd Monken already had his fair share of NFL and college football experience. Back in 2012, he was the head coach at Southern Mississippi. In three years, he charted a turnaround for the Golden Eagles and even earned the C-USA Coach of the Year Award for finishing 9-5 in the 2015 season. But in the wake of his NFL appointment, Kirby Smart couldn’t help but laud his former OC for this major accomplishment.

Kirby Smart is high in praise for Todd Monken in his new gig

Kirby Smart has never been an NFL head coach, but he’s been at the top of college football as a coach. But as someone who has seen many colleagues make the jump to the NFL, he understands the ordeal that they face. Seeing Monken thrive at Georgia, Smart had nothing but praise for his former colleague’s future.

“Todd brought an exceptional level of professionalism and creativity to our program,” Smart told ESPN. “His ability to develop quarterbacks and craft game plans tailored to our players’ strengths was instrumental to our success. What we accomplished wouldn’t have been possible without his impact. We’re incredibly excited for Todd and Terri.”

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Monken’s work with Georgia took the Bulldogs to levels they had not seen. The Bulldogs were caught in a slump before his arrival, averaging 408.1 yards of total offense in the 2019 season. But in 2020, Monken’s genius bumped the Bulldogs up to the 41st position (424.1 yards per game) in the category, and then to the 26th position in 2021.

He couldn’t coach a lot of QBs in his Georgia stint because of how short-lived it was. But he did leave the Bulldogs with Carson Beck, who became an elite signal caller in the 2023 season. In the NFL, Monken saw success with Lamar Jackson on the Ravens.

His loss is probably the biggest one Georgia has suffered from a staffing perspective. Nevertheless, Todd Monken has an extremely steep climb to cover in his first season as the Browns’ head coach, and it remains to be seen how his new endeavor pans out. What do you think? Drop your comments below.