Kevin Stefanski’s stoicism is starting to make people question if he knows what he’s doing

Kevin Stefanski is the head coach of the Cleveland Browns and has a reputation for not saying much.

Something I see a lot on Twitter when it comes to Kevin Stefanski is complaints about how little he talks about the actual issues facing the Cleveland Browns on a week-to-week basis. Instead of deep diving into the issues and how they’re going to combat them, Stefanski often gives vaguely generic answers like “We know what’s wrong and what we have to do to fix it.”

He often doesn’t give much in the way of detail. This is a Bill Belichick-like approach to football and one that most who try it can’t pull off. Why? Well, that was a question I’ve seen asked time and time again by Stefanski supporters. Why does it matter that Stefanski doesn’t give details to the media?

Well, the answer is pretty obvious but it may not ring true with people who think Stefanski is a great head coach. The reason why people want more detailed answers from Stefanski is that he’s the head coach, and all the same issues he’s had for three years continue to pop up. So many are starting to wonder if Stefanski has a clue as to what he’s doing.

Not giving detailed answers when you’re losing, in part due to your decision-making, makes many wonder if he’s in over his head. How can Stefanski fix the team if he can’t even articulate what needs fixing? We all know what’s wrong, but he won’t acknowledge it.

Does he not see it, does he not care, or can he simply not figure out how to fix it?

It has to be something.

The stoic approach only works when you’re a winning football coach

Bill Belichick has six Super Bowl rings as a head coach and eight overall. If Belichick doesn’t think the media should know his thought process, guess what, he’s earned that right. Considering Belichick recently talked up how good the Chicago Bears are, it’s fair to say that even at 70 he’s still very acutely aware of what makes teams good and teams bad.

Stefanski doesn’t have a single Super Bowl ring. He’s spent his entire career on an under-achieving Minnesota Vikings franchise. He has zero credibility when it comes to his understanding of the game. He has got to start giving fans the answers to the questions they have. Even if it’s just “we don’t have the talent”.

A lot of fans have already given up on Stefanski and for good reason. He’s unreliable and you can’t take him at his word. What good are his constant proclamations of “…got to be better” if you don’t actually get better? The man is giving the fanbase zero reason to have faith in him, so you can just imagine how the players are feeling about him.

They see more than the perfectly curated version of Stefanski that the media sees. They’re seeing all that the fans see and more. Maybe Stefanski is a good coach but lost the locker room a long time ago. Maybe we’re watching Nero burn Rome down after all.