Browns coach Stefanski shakes up offensive staff, coordinator Alex Van Pelt, 2 other assistants gone

CLEVELAND — For the second straight year, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has made a major offseason change to his staff.

Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has parted ways with the team, leaving just days after Cleveland was blown out in the wild-card round by Houston and following a season in which the Browns were ravaged by injuries.

A team spokesman confirmed Wednesday that Van Pelt is no longer with the Browns. Also, Stefanski fired running backs coach Stump Mitchell and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney was not retained after his contract expired.

The shakeup might not be over as the Browns continue to hold staff evaluations.

They’ve quickly moved on from Mitchell and are interviewing Duce Staley to be his replacement. The 48-year-old Staley was most recently an assistant head coach and running backs coach with Carolina before being fired.

Following a 7-10 season in 2022, Stefanski fired defensive coordinator Joe Woods and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer. Those moves led to the hiring of Jim Schwartz, who turned Cleveland’s defense into one of the NFL’s best this season, and Bubba Ventrone, who dramatically improved special teams.

Van Pelt’s departure is a surprise. It was immediately known if he was fired or resigned.

He and Stefanski appeared to have a strong relationship, and just last week Van Pelt praised his boss for the job he did during a challenging season.

“He’s awesome,” Van Pelt said of Stefanski, who has led the Browns to the playoffs twice in four seasons.