The NFL coaching carousel has once again shifted into high gear, leaving fans and analysts scrambling to make sense of the latest power moves. This week, the Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills made headlines by finalizing their leadership for the upcoming season. However, according to Coach JB and former NFL quarterback Shaun King, these hires may say more about the organizations’ internal politics than their desire to win championships.
On a recent episode of The Coach JB Show with Big Smitty, the duo provided an unfiltered analysis of why Todd Monken landed in Cleveland and why Joe Brady was the “safest” choice for the Buffalo Bills.
Cleveland’s Analytics Obsession: Why Monken?
The Cleveland Browns officially named Todd Monken as their new head coach, a move that Shaun King believes was “the angle Cleveland was always intending to take.” King argued that elite coaching candidates likely shied away from the Browns due to the organization’s rigid power structure.
“They were one of the few organizations that said, ‘If you come here, you’ve got to accept Andrew Barry as the ultimate decision-maker and you’re more than likely going to have to keep Jim Schwartz as a defensive coordinator,'” King explained. He suggested that “elite candidates” with multiple options would never agree to such stipulations.
Coach JB added that Cleveland’s heavy reliance on analytics—including rumors of IQ tests, personality tests, and even essays for coaching candidates—creates an environment that promising young coordinators like Grant Udinsky or Jesse Minter were advised to avoid by their mentors. Monken, an experienced coordinator who has shared “power vacuums” before, became the viable choice for an organization that prioritizes its “analytics-based” system over individual coaching autonomy.
Joe Brady in Buffalo: The “Safe Play”
In Buffalo, the Bills promoted Joe Brady to head coach following what they described as a “lengthy search.” Shaun King was quick to label this move as the “safest play for the GM.”
King’s assessment is that the Bills wanted a coach who wouldn’t “make any waves personnel-wise.” After a period of reported friction involving former head coach Sean McDermott—who King says had started “fighting back in meetings” regarding the roster’s talent level—the organization sought a leader who would offer less pushback. Joe Brady, with his familiarity with superstar quarterback Josh Allen, was seen as the perfect fit to maintain the status quo without challenging the front office’s decision-making apparatus.
Coach JB was even more critical, jokingly suggesting the hire was so uninspired that he would have tried to keep the same staff and just “flip” the titles. He questioned how much influence Josh Allen had in the decision, noting that Brady is likely “so grateful for the job” that he will focus solely on coaching the star quarterback while letting the front office operate without accountability.
The Ego Trap and “Weird Dynamics”
The conversation also touched on the “ego” involved in coaching changes. The hosts discussed the strange dynamic of head coaches moving back into coordinator roles, referencing Brent Pry’s move at Virginia Tech as a rare example. King and JB agreed that such moves are difficult in the NFL because “ego is the enemy,” and the transition from being the “CEO” to a subordinate is a hurdle few high-level coaches can clear.
A Lighthearted Ending to a Serious Debate
Despite the heavy football talk, the episode took a bizarre and hilarious turn when Shaun King appeared to have a “technical difficulty” in his home office, involving what Coach JB jokingly called “being in his draws” and a poorly-timed sneeze (or worse). The banter that followed—including JB and Smitty accusing King of “shitting on the show live”—reminded fans that while the football analysis is top-tier, the chemistry between the hosts remains the show’s real MVP.
As the Browns and Bills prepare for a new era, the jury is still out on whether these “safe” hires will lead to Super Bowl glory or more of the same. But for Coach JB and Shaun King, the message is clear: when organizations prioritize power over coaching independence, the results are rarely “elite.”
