Browns Narrow Defensive Coordinator Search to Jason Tarver, Cory Undlin and mike rutenberg
Three finalists emerge in Browns defensive coordinator search
The Cleveland Browns have trimmed their search for defensive coordinator to three finalists, a league source told Cleveland. com. The candidates are Texans passing game coordinator Cory Undlin, Browns linebackers coach Jason Tarver and Falcons passing game coordinator mike rutenberg. Team officials conducted in-person interviews over the weekend, with Rutenberg meeting with the club on Sunday.
Experience and recent roles of the finalists
Cory Undlin brings a long NFL resume that includes a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles and previous coordinator experience. Undlin served as defensive backs coach under Jim Schwartz in Philadelphia from 2016-2019 and was the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator in 2020. He has spent the past three seasons as the Texans’ pass game coordinator, where the defense posted strong league finishes in 2025: No. 1 in total yards allowed (277. 2), sixth against the pass (183. 5), fourth in run defense (93. 7) and second in scoring defense (17. 4 points allowed).
Jason Tarver, the Browns’ linebackers coach for the last six seasons, has been on staff for three seasons under defensive play-caller Jim Schwartz. Tarver served as the Oakland Raiders’ defensive coordinator from 2012-2014 and is credited with helping the Browns maintain continuity in a defense that ranked at or near the top of several categories while working under Schwartz. During the recent three-season span with Schwartz the Browns led the league in categories including total yards per game and opponent first downs allowed, and were among the top teams in sacks and defensive touchdowns.
mike rutenberg, the Falcons’ defensive pass game coordinator, joined Atlanta in 2025 after four seasons as the New York Jets’ linebackers coach (2021-24). Rutenberg brings 15 years of NFL coaching experience. While with the Jets he was part of a defense that ranked in the top five in total defense in each of the 2022-24 seasons, a rare sustained performance at that level.
Why continuity matters to Cleveland
Two of the finalists, Undlin and Tarver, already have coordinator experience, a factor that could place them ahead in deliberations. Both also have recent working relationships with the Browns’ defensive leadership and with Jim Schwartz’s system. That familiarity could make a coaching transition smoother, allowing Cleveland’s defense to retain the strengths it demonstrated in 2025.
The Browns’ 2025 defense finished the regular season among the league leaders. Cleveland allowed the fourth-fewest total yards per game (283. 6) and the third-fewest passing yards per game (167. 2). The team recorded 53 sacks, tied for third in the NFL, and set a franchise record for sacks in a season. Defensive end Myles Garrett broke the NFL single-season sack record with 23. Cleveland also sustained a streak of 45 straight games without allowing a 300-yard passer, the longest active run in the league.
Next steps and timeline
Head coach Todd Monken is expected to name a replacement for Jim Schwartz within the next day or two, the reporting. Undlin and Rutenberg interviewed in person over the weekend, and Tarver remains a candidate with strong internal support given his history with the Browns’ staff and players.
The final decision will weigh recent performance, coordinator experience and the degree to which a candidate can preserve or enhance the existing system that produced one of the NFL’s top defenses in 2025. The hire will be closely watched around the league, both for its immediate impact on Cleveland’s defensive continuity and for the longer-term trajectory of the coaching staffs involved.
