Jim Schwartz Has Been Hired As The Browns’ Defensive Coordinator.

CLEVELAND, OH – Jim Schwartz’s career has gone full circle with the Cleveland Browns, where he began his NFL career and was just appointed as defensive coordinator to replace fired Joe Woods.

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Schwartz was chosen from a field of applicants that included Steelers assistant Brian Flores, Seahawks assistant Sean Desai, and Eagles assistant Dennard Wilson to replace Woods.

Schwartz began his NFL career as a Browns scout during the Bill Belichick era from 1993 to 1995, and he has fond memories of the club and city.

He was the Lions’ coach from 2009 to 2013, and he led them to a 10-6 record and a wild card berth in 2011, ending an 11-year postseason drought. In the wild card round, they were defeated by the Saints 45-28.

He has 25 years of NFL coaching experience, including 14 years as a defensive coordinator, with the Titans from 2001 to 2008, the Bills in 2014, and the Eagles from 2016 to 2020.

He spent a year in Philadelphia alongside Browns general manager Andrew Berry, who was vice president of football operations under Howie Roseman, in 2019. When Kevin Stefanski was hired as the Browns’ head coach in 2020, he was a candidate.

Schwartz, 56, was the Browns’ first defensive coordinator candidate to interview. He is the four candidates’ eldest and most experienced coordinator.

When the Browns relocated to Baltimore and became the Ravens in 1996, Schwartz served as Ravens outside linebackers coach from 1996 to 1998, then as a Titans defensive assistant in 1999 and linebackers coach in 2000 before being elevated to defensive coordinator in 2001.

He’s been with the Titans for 12 years, the last two as a senior defensive assistant under Mike Vrabel.

His attack-minded defense ranked in the top seven overall in his final two seasons as Titans coordinator. When he was with the Bills in that position in 2014, they led the league in sacks and were fourth in total defense with 312.4 yards allowed per game.

He helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl following the 2018 season, defeating Belichick’s Patriots 41-33.

On defense, Schwartz has been known for getting the most out of his pass rushers and isolating his studs for favorable matchups. Under his tutelage, Albert Haynesworth, Ndamukong Suh, Marcell Dareus, and Fletcher Cox all made the Pro Bowl or first-team All-Pro.

Schwartz may be the ideal man for the Browns, who need to substantially improve their 25th-ranked run defense. The Titans finished top in the NFL in that statistic in 2022, with 76.9 yards per game and 3.4 yards per run. At 34.2%, they were third in allowing third-down conversions.

The Eagles finished third in third-down defense (35.9%), sixth in red-zone defense (52.7%), third in running defense (99.1 yards per game), and seventh in sacks during his five seasons in Philadelphia (208).

During the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII championship season in 2017, they allowed the fewest running yards per game (79.2) in the NFL, were third in third-down defense (32.2%), and had the fourth-most takeaways (31). The defense allowed only 10 points in the divisional round and seven points in the NFC Championship in the playoffs.

Schwartz led the Bills defense to top place in sacks (54.0) and third in third-down conversions (33.2%) in 2014. They were second in scoring defense (16.9 points per game) in opponent quarterback rating (74.5). Mario Williams (14.5), Marcell Dareus (10.0), and Jerry Hughes (10.0) all set career highs in sacks under Schwartz’s tutelage, with Dareus, Williams, and Kyle Williams receiving Pro Bowl accolades.

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Jim Schwartz’s Coaching Timeline:

2021-22: Senior Defensive Assistant, Tennessee Titans

2016-20: Defensive Coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles

2014: Defensive Coordinator, Buffalo Bills

2009-13: Head Coach, Detroit Lions

2001-08: Defensive Coordinator, Tennessee Titans

2000: Linebackers/Third Down, Tennessee Titans

1999: Defensive Assistant, Tennessee Titans

1996-98: Defensive Assistant, Baltimore Ravens

1993-95: College/Pro Scout, Cleveland Browns

1992: Linebackers, Colgate