Amid the frenzy of Divisional Round weekend, one of the regular season's more exciting teams made two key hires.
The Cleveland Browns have hired Todd Monken and Steve Wilks as offensive and defensive coordinators under new head coach Freddie Kitchens, the team announced Monday.
Cleveland also announced the hiring of special teams coach Mike Priefer, running backs coach/run game coordinator Stump Mitchell, offensive line/associate head coach James Campen, quarterbacks coach Ryan Lindley, special assistant to the head coach Jody Wright, and offensive quality control coaches Jim Dray and Tyler Tettleton.
Wilks posted a league-worst 3-13 record in his lone season at the helm of the often overmatched Cardinals before he was let go at the end of 2018. He thrived as defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers in 2017, leading a unit that finished tied for 10th in points allowed per game.
Monken spent the last three seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where his offense led the league in passing yards per game (320.3) and finished third in total yards per game (415.5) in 2018. Tampa Bay achieved such success while switching between Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback, making it more impressive.
The former receivers coach also helped Mike Evans post his best professional season in terms of receiving yards in 2018, finishing with 1,524 yards and eight touchdowns on 86 catches (17.7 yards per catch, the highest mark of his career).
In Monken's three years as Buccaneers OC, Tampa Bay twice finished in the top four in passing yards per game. He'll join a team brimming with optimism thanks to a stellar rookie campaign from quarterback Baker Mayfield, who developed an excellent rapport with since-promoted OC Kitchens and spread the ball among multiple targets, with Jarvis Landry leading the way.
Monken will also get to work on helping the progression of Rashard Higgins, Antonio Callaway and perhaps Breshad Perriman (should Cleveland retain him) after all three improved in the second half of Cleveland's season, as well as the dynamic running back duo of Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson.
Campen moves to Cleveland after 20 years in Green Bay (15 as a coach), spending many of them turning late-round picks and undrafted free agents into consistent, reliable starters. Since 2010, six of Campen's linemen have earned Pro Bowl honors.
