On Monday, in announcing the firing of Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, general manager Andrew Berry pointed out that, when he was hired in 2020, Cleveland was the only franchise to have interviewed Stefanski. He brought two playoff appearances for the Browns, their first since 2002. No matter how you feel about Stefanski now that he is on his way out the door, he had more success than any Browns coach since Marty Schottenheimer in the late 1980s.
If the Browns were a bit outside the box in bringing in Stefanski, they’re willing to do the same here in 2026. That was made clear with one of their first interview requests of this hiring cycle: Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde, the 46-year old former linebacker who made NFL history in 2024 by becoming the first British-born coordinator in history.
From insider Ian Rapoport of NFL Network on Twitter/X: “The #Browns have requested permission to interview #Seahawks DC Aden Durde for their vacant HC job, source said. The native of England came to the NFL as a #Cowboys coaching intern and has risen quickly.”
Aden Durde Leading Seahawks’ Top-Ranked Defense
Durde would make history as coach of the Browns, too, if he were to ascend to their top job. But he is a well-liked coach who has helped take the Seahawks defense to the top spot in points allowed in the NFL, and the No. 4 spot in yardage allowed here in 2026. Durde was a favorite of current Commanders coach Dan Quinn, who brought him to Dallas as the Cowboys’ defensive line coach in 2021.
In fact, Durde’s presence in Seattle was the main reason that former Cowboys defensive lineman DeMarcus Lawrence cited for signing with the Seahawks. If Durde had not been in Seattle, Lawrence would not have gone there.
“In all honesty, most likely not,” Lawrence said. “Because I know his style, his system, what he’s expecting from me. And I know he can help me get back to the D Law everybody knows.”
And he did just that, which is another point in favor of Durden–Lawrence was the No. 13 ranked defensive edge-rusher out of 115 in the NFL in 2025, after having struggled with injuries in 2024.
Browns Weighing 2 Ravens Coaches, Too
Durde may be a longshot. Conventional wisdom holds that the Browns, the team with the worst offense in the NFL in 2025, will look to bring in an offensive mind this year and Durde would not qualify there. The Browns have also requested an interview with Baltimore offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and have been linked to fired Ravens coach John Harbaugh.
But Berry promised to cast a wide net. And the young, popular and energetic Durde would be an outside-the-box pick.
“We’ll be pretty open minded,” Berry said. “I think there are a number of different archetypes of successful head coaches. … I think our responsibility is to search far and wide. There are good coaches out there. You know, we’ve just got to do our homework and find the right fit for us. We’ll have no preconceived notions as we go into the search.”
