Success Came Later for Browns 2014 Coaching Staff
by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published May 27, 2026, 5:49 PM
The 2014 Cleveland Browns didn’t become a football dynasty.
They became something stranger.
A coaching incubator.
At first glance, that 7-9 Browns team looked forgettable. The season collapsed after a promising start. The quarterback situation spiraled. Front-office dysfunction hovered over the franchise like a permanent storm cloud. By the end, Mike Pettine’s tenure already felt unstable.
At the center of it all was Mike Pettine, a defensive-minded coach who came from the Rex Ryan school of organized chaos. Pettine’s Browns didn’t survive long-term, but his ability to assemble coaching talent now looks remarkable in hindsight.
He didn’t just hire assistants.
He accidentally built a future NFL pipeline.
Pettine Head Coaching Record
- 2014 – 7-9
- 2015 – 3-13
Kyle Shanahan — Offensive Coordinator
Current Role: Head Coach, San Francisco 49ers
Before becoming one of the NFL’s defining offensive architects, Shanahan spent one season in Cleveland attempting to construct offense around instability at quarterback. Even then, coaches around the league already viewed him differently. His run-game creativity, formation stress and pre-snap manipulation stood out long before the rest of football fully caught up.
Today, Shanahan’s offense has become one of the league’s most copied systems. Motion-heavy concepts, wide-zone principles and matchup creation now dominate football partly because of his influence.
Mike McDaniel – Receivers Coach
Current Role: Los Angels Chargers, Offensive Coordinator
Back then, McDaniel was barely known outside league circles. He was viewed as the quirky, hyper-intelligent assistant buried deep inside offensive game-planning meetings.
Now he’s one of the NFL’s most recognizable coaches.
McDaniel helped shape the modern speed-and-space attack currently terrorizing defenses in Miami. His rise from Browns receivers coach to offensive innovator perfectly reflects how much football intelligence existed inside that 2014 building.
Head Coaching Experience
- 2022-25 Miami Dolphins
- Wins – 35
- Loses – 33
Anthony Weaver – Defensive Line Coach
Current Role: Defensive Coordinator, Baltimore Ravens
Weaver quietly became one of the most respected defensive minds in football after years developing defensive fronts around the league. Coaches consistently rave about his leadership, communication and ability to adapt schemes weekly.
Many inside NFL circles believe head coaching opportunities are eventually coming. He had several head coaching interviews in 2026, including the Bills, Cardinals, Falcons, Ravens and Steelers.
Head Coaching Interviews (2026)
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Baltimore Ravens
- Buffalo Bills
- Pittsburgh Steelers
Jeff Hafley – Secondary Coach
Current Role: Head Coach Miami Dolphins
During the 2026 hiring cycle, Hafley was one of the hottest head coaching candidates on the market. His reputation has always centered around aggressive defensive teaching and secondary versatility traits now valued more than ever in today’s NFL.
Prior to last season, he was also reported to have been interviewed for the New York Jets head coaching vacancy in the 2025 offseason. Before his stint in the NFL, Hafley also served as the collegiate head coach for Boston College from 2020 to 2023.
Jeff Hafley took an interesting route. After helping develop Cleveland’s secondary, he climbed through college football, eventually becoming head coach at Boston College before returning to the NFL.
Head Coaching Interviews (2026)
- Miami Dolphins
- Tennessee Titans
- Atlanta Falcons
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Arizona Cardinals
Current Role: Head Coach, New York Jets
Few coaches have risen faster recently than Glenn.
Formerly viewed as an energetic secondary coach with leadership traits, Glenn evolved into one of the league’s most respected defensive coordinators in Detroit before landing a head coaching opportunity. Players gravitate toward him because he teaches aggressively while still connecting personally.
His defenses reflect his personality: physical, emotional and unapologetically violent. While his first season with the Jets wasn’t flattering, Glenn’s second season in New York brings much anticipation after 2026 NFL Draft yielded a lot of projected talent.
Head Coaching Experience
- 2025-Current
- Wins – 3
- Loses – 14
Current Role: Secondary Coach/Pass Game Coordinator
Babich was the Bills defensive coordinator between 2024-25, prior to his current job with Green Bay. Beginning his career at Kent State in 2006, Babich didn’t reach the coaching heights of others on the Browns staff in 2014 but gradually advanced his duties.
Current Role: Offensive Coordinator, Pittsburgh Steelers
Long before landing in Pittsburgh as offensive coordinator, Brian Angelichio was part of Pettine’s Cleveland operation coaching tight ends.
Angelichio’s career path reflects how respected he became internally around the league. Coaches consistently valued his ability to maximize tight end usage and adapt systems around personnel strengths.
Now he inherits a Steelers offense loaded with tight end talent. Many expect Steelers Pat Freiermuth to have a breakout season in 2026.
Current Role: Head Coach, Arizona Cardinals
At the time, Mike LaFleur was simply an offensive intern grinding through film and game-planning responsibilities.
Today he’s considered part of the larger Shanahan coaching tree that continues spreading throughout football.
However, it was in 2014 he got his feet wet under Mike Pettine.
His offensive concepts and quarterback work helped elevate his reputation quickly around the league.
Head Coaching Interviews (2026)
- Arizona Cardinals
- Las Vegas Raiders
Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com
