It’s certain. The Cleveland Browns are in the middle of a coaching overhaul. The head coach search is complete, the offensive coordinator is in place, and 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 will oversee the search for a new defensive coordinator to lead Myles Garrett and the Browns’ defense.

And early reports suggest that Monken could look toward a familiar coaching tree to fill the role. Following Schwartz’s departure, Ian Rapoport reported that Cleveland could target candidates from the staff of Schwartz disciple Matt Burke. That list includes Cory Undlin, the Houston Texans’ defensive passing-game coordinator, and defensive backs coach Dino Vasso.

And looking at it, the connection isn’t random. Burke previously worked under Schwartz in 2020, serving as run-game coordinator and defensive line coach when Schwartz was the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles. While Philadelphia finished that season ranked 20th in points allowed, Burke still landed a defensive coordinator role with Houston in 2023.

He kept Vasso on his staff and brought Undlin as the team’s defensive passing game coordinator. Now, with Cleveland searching for a new defensive leader, Rapoport has suggested that either Undlin or Vasso could emerge as legitimate candidates during Monken’s coordinator search. And based on how the 2025 season played out, the fit would be far from risky.

Vasso, who has been with Houston for half a decade, has been part of a secondary widely regarded as one of the league’s best. Meanwhile, he has already been linked to multiple defensive coordinator openings around the league. And now that he failed to land the Tennessee Titans‘ DC job, Cleveland could now consider bringing him in for an interview.

As for Undlin, who joined the Texans in 2023, his résumé speaks just as loudly. Under Undlin’s watch, Houston finished the 2025 season with one of the NFL’s top pass defenses and an elite unit overall. The Texans allowed just 179.3 passing yards per game, ranking in the top five league-wide, 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.

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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.

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. 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.

Fast forward to now, and 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.