How close did the Cleveland Browns come to hiring San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as their new head coach before ultimately deciding to bring aboard Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski? Very close, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
The decision came down to the two coordinators, who faced off against one another on Saturday in an NFC Divisional Round playoff game. Saleh and his 49ers won the game 27-10, and ended the Vikings' season, leaving the Browns free to hire Stefanski.
Cabot reports that the decision had not even been finalized before Saturday's game.
The #Browns HC search came down to Kevin Stefanski and #49ers Robert Saleh, source tells me. Decision not finalized before their head-to-head matchup yesterday.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) January 12, 2020
Several reports have stated that Saleh had a strong interview last weekend with Cleveland decision-makers, and made the decision difficult for the Browns.
Saleh is in his 15th NFL season and third season as the 49ers' defensive coordinator. He will spend at least a fourth with San Francisco. Saleh is, however, now on the radar as a legitimate head coaching candidate for the next offseason.
Richard Sherman says Robert Saleh will be a successful NFL head coach. pic.twitter.com/mweoHpvXlg
— Iggy Cohn (@grantcohn) January 12, 2020
Saleh helped transform one of the NFL's worst defenses into the No. 2 ranked (points allowed) unit in the league. Before joining head coach Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco, Saleh spent three seasons as the Jacksonville Jaguars linebackers coach along with various assistant roles before that with the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans.
The Browns' decision likely just delayed the inevitable. It could be only a matter of time before Shanahan has to search for a replacement for Saleh.
H/t to Patrick Tulini for the find.
