The Cleveland Browns rewarded coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry with contract extensions after they brought success and stability to an organization that had little before their arrival.
The extensions have been expected for months and were announced Wednesday as the Browns were on the practice field.
Terms of the extensions were not immediately known.
Stefanski led the Browns to an 11-6 record and playoff appearance last season despite a rash of injuries, including losing quarterback Deshaun Watson with a shoulder injury after six starts. Cleveland started — and won — with four different QBs.
Stefanski was named AP Coach of the Year for the second time following the season. The 41-year-old is 37-30 with two playoff appearances in four seasons since being hired by Cleveland in 2020.
Prior to Stefanski taking over, the Browns made the playoffs once since their expansion rebirth in 1999.
Berry has rebuilt Cleveland’s roster in his second stint with the team.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry leading the Cleveland Browns,” said Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam. “Since the day they were hired, each has worked tirelessly to help the Cleveland Browns win. We are proud of what they and the team have achieved, but Kevin and Andrew would be the first to say that Browns fans deserve even more.
“Their leadership, collaborative approach, and ability to overcome obstacles bode well for the future of this franchise.”
The 36-year-old Berry returned to the Browns in 2020 after spending one season as Philadelphia’s vice president of football operations. He was Cleveland’s vice president of player personnel from 2016-18.
Both Stefanski and Berry had one year left on five-year deals signed in 2020.
Although the Browns trade for Watson hasn’t paid off the way they hoped to this point, Berry has made several other astute moves to make Cleveland competitive and now a contender in the balanced AFC North.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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