Mike Rutenberg is taking over as the defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns facing difficult challenges that would not be in place under normal NFL circumstances. Not only is he taking over from a very successful predecessor after a contentious breakup, but he’s also getting a very late start in filling out his staff.
However, the combination of those things could strangely work out in Rutenberg’s favor. Having to rely on assistants who are already in place and know how Jim Schwartz ran the defense for the past three seasons could benefit him as a first-time lead coordinator.
Former Cleveland cornerback Hanford Dixon recently revealed his key to Rutenberg potentially succeeding with the Browns, and it has a lot to do with that continuity.
“You guys said that pretty much they kept the staff intact. That’s going to help him a lot. That’s going to help him maybe run the same defense,” Dixon said.
“That’s going to help him.” #DawgPound@HanfordDixon29 can’t state enough how much the defensive staff returning benefits Mike Rutenberg.
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— The Top Dawgs Show (@TopDawgShow) February 21, 2026
The Browns have officially announced Rutenberg and offensive coordinator Terry Switzer as additions to the coaching staff, almost seven weeks after firing Kevin Stefanski, and more than three weeks after naming Monken as his replacement. In doing so, Monken revealed that Rutenberg’s “juice” drew him to hire him following Schwartz’s late-in-the-cycle resignation.
Rather than going outside the organization as Monken did when filling out most of the offensive staff, Rutenberg stayed in-house with notable promotions of two finalists for the job that he ultimately got. Linebackers coach Jason Tarver was named defensive running game coordinator, safeties coach Ephraim Banda was named defensive passing game coordinator, and Brandon Lynch, who was also considered as a possible replacement for Schwartz, was elevated from cornerbacks coach to defensive backs coach/passing game specialist.
With some critical members of Schwartz’s staff staying on board, it could help Rutenberg get off to a good start with the returning players. Not only could it ease some potential lingering hard feelings, but it could also speed up the transition process, especially if he uses a lot of the same scheme.
It’s never easy taking a major step up in a coaching career, but at least Rutenberg has some very talented players and coaches in place to help him.
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