Browns coach Todd Monken discusses mental process of getting rejected by Jets for Adam Gase in 2019

The Cleveland Browns will be playing a game of some meaning for head coach Todd Monken against the New York Jets on Sunday.

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Monken, currently working his first NFL head-coaching job at the age of 60, previously interviewed for the Jets’ head-coaching job in 2019 back when he was offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He didn’t get it, with New York hiring former Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase instead.

Gase wound up being an outright disaster for the Jets, posting a 9-23 record and proving unpopular with players.

Asked Friday about what he remembers from the job application experience, Monken made clear there were no hard feelings, then recalled some advice he got from a Jets executive that helped give him perspective:

“I really enjoyed it. Didn’t work out. Didn’t work out that time … Someone told me this a while ago, and I’m very humble, so please don’t take this the wrong way. Actually, someone from the Jets organization told me this, now that I’m going to mention it.

“It was one of the guys that were in the interview process, and he said, ‘Don’t ever forget that you’re a Mercedes. When you look in the mirror, you can’t control if they want a Lexus. It doesn’t matter how good a Mercedes you are. If they want the other, there’s nothing you can do about it. Right? That doesn’t mean you’re not capable. ‘

“Lexus” is a generous term for what Gase turned out to be in New York.

Monken and Gase were two of several coaches to interview for the job, but the decision reportedly came down to the two of them in a debate that split the Jets front office. Monken reportedly “crushed” his interviews.

Todd Monken has beaten expectations so far in his Browns tenure.AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

Instead of taking over the Jets and all that comes with it, Monken was hired as the Browns’ offensive coordinator under Freddie Kitchens and got fired after a single season. He then went back to the college ranks and won two national championships as Georgia’ offfensive coordinator, then spent three years with the Baltimore Ravens under John Harbaugh in the same role.

The Browns hired Monken last offseason and the team now holds a 3-1 record, despite rock-bottom expectations. Monken credited the extra seasoning he received from that path:

“There are things I certainly could have improved, interview and all those things. But ultimately, [the Jets] chose a different model, and that was their choice.

“I’ve been very lucky throughout my career to have a lot of really good jobs and be around a lot of really good coaches and great players, and that have helped me get a lot better as I’ve grown as a coach. I really appreciated them interviewing me.”

This season is also Gase’s first in a full-time football job since his firing by the Jets in 2021, as he was hired by Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh as passing game specialist in February. The Chargers are currently 0-4, with Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert posting some of the worst numbers of his career.

Browns-Jets is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday at New York’s MetLife Stadium.

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