Browns defensive coordinator targets: Meet Sean Desai, Brian Flores, Jerod Mayo, Jim Schwartz

BEREA — The Browns moved on from Joe Woods as their defensive coordinator fairly quickly after their 7-10 season came to an end. Within hours of the season-ending loss in Pittsburgh, he had been dismissed.

Woods' dismissal was only hours old before it was known who some of the coaches the Browns were targeting as his replacement. Within 12 hours of the announcement, league sources had confirmed they had sent formal requests to speak with four candidates — Seattle Seahawks associate head coach/defensive assistant Sean Desai, Pittsburgh Steelers senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach Brian Flores, New England Patriots inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo and Tennessee Titans senior defensive assistant Jim Schwartz.

MMQB's Albert Breer reported Tuesday night that Schwartz is scheduled to interview with the Browns on Wednesday, and Flores on Thursday. Interviews with Mayo and Desai, who has a playoff game this Saturday against the San Francisco 49ers, are still being scheduled.

Those four won't be the only ones the Browns look at for the job. Others who have been publicly speculated as candidates, but not confirmed as targets, include former University of Wisconsin defensive coordinator and interim head coach Jim Leonhard, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator and interim head coach Ejiro Evero and Baltimore Ravens defensive line coach/run game coordinator Anthony Weaver.

For now, though, there's only the four confirmed names. Here's a look at Desai, Flores, Mayo and Schwartz:

Sean Desai, Seattle Seahawks

Age: 39

Position: Associate head coach/defensive assistant

NFL coaching experience: Chicago Bears, defensive quality control coach, 2013-18; Bears, safeties coach, 2019-20; Bears, defensive coordinator, 2021; Seattle Seahawks, assistant head coach/defensive assistant, 2022

About Desai: Seen as a strong teacher and communicator. … Reunited in Seattle with Clint Hurtt, now the Seahawks' defensive coordinator but who also was an assistant in Chicago from 2014-16. … Seahawks defense finished in the 20s or 30s in total yards (26th, 361.7), rushing yards (30th, 150.2) and points allowed (25th, 23.6), but 13th against the pass (211.5), which is one of Desai's areas of expertise. … Coordinated a Bears defense in 2021 that was ranked sixth in the league — one spot behind the Browns that season —allowing 316.7 yards per game, and third in the league against the pass at 191.6 yards a game. Chicago was 22nd in points allowed at 23.9 per game and 23rd against the run at 125.1 yards a game. … Originally hired in Chicago by Marc Trestman, and stayed on to work under John Fox and Matt Nagy. … Connecticut native also has collegiate experience working under Al Golden at both Temple and Miami (Fla.), as well as Frank Spaziani at Boston College.

What they're saying about Desai: Seahawks defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt, via Seahawks.com: “How he teaches is definitely clear and concise, which is a very important thing. But also, as a teacher, he’s always thinking ahead. What is the next issue that’s going to come up, how people are going to attack you when you’re doing things a certain way. He’s very ahead when it comes to that, just thinking what is the next formula to come up with to solve the next problem? It makes him very unique.”

Brian Flores, Pittsburgh Steelers

Age: 41

Position: Senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach

NFL coaching experience: New England Patriots, scouting assistant, 2004-05; Patriots, pro scout, 2006-07; Patriots, special teams assistant, 2008-09; Patriots, assistant offense and special teams coach, 2010; Patriots, defensive assistant, 2011; Patriots, safeties coach, 2012-15; Patriots, linebackers coach, 2016-18; Miami Dolphins, head coach, 2019-21; Pittsburgh Steelers, senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach, 2022.

About Flores: Spent this past season working closely with head coach Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh. … Had key role in helping the Steelers improve their overall run defense. Pittsburgh was ninth against the run this season, allowing 108.1 yards a game, after being ranked 32nd in 2021 at 146.1 rushing yards a game. … Went through the Patriots organization, rising from scout to, essentially, the defensive play-caller under Bill Belichick. … Was primary defensive play-caller for 2018 Patriots, who won the Super Bowl in a 13-3 defensive battle against Los Angeles Rams. … The 2018 Patriots defense was second in the league in yards allowed (295 yards), first in the league in rushing yards allowed (40.7), ninth in passing yards allowed (254.3) and sixth in points allowed (20.7). … Went 24-25 in three seasons as the Dolphins head coach. … Those Dolphins teams were seen as overachievers relative to the talent level, and were in contention for the playoffs in each of his final two seasons. … After starting 0-7 his first season, won 24 of his last 42 games in Miami. … Was fired after going 9-8, leading to a class-action lawsuit against the Dolphins, New York Giants, Denver Broncos and the NFL claiming racial discrimination in hiring practices. The lawsuit remains active.

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What they're saying about Flores: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, at 2022 NFL Meetings: "Senior defensive assistant and linebacker coach is his title, but there's help that he's going to help us and help me, in particular. I love sharpening my sword on his and gaining a perspective that his experiences provide, that wise counsel. We're talking about a myriad of things. Whether it's calendar, whether it's taking care of players, whether it's the acquisition or evaluation of talent, it's been fun to have him. His contributions are going to be significant."

Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots

Age: 36

Position: Linebackers coach

NFL coaching experience: New England Patriots, inside linebackers coach, 2019-present.

About Mayo: Seen as one of the up-and-coming coaching stars in the NFL. … Intricately involved in the game plan in a pseudo-co-defensive coordinator role with outside linebackers coach Steven Belichick. … Patriots defense ranked eighth in total yards (322), sixth in rushing (105.5), 16th in passing (216.5) and 10th in points allowed (20.4) this season. Also was third in defensive DVOA and created the second-most takeaways of any defense this season with 30. … Took over as the Patriots' linebackers coach when Flores departed to become the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. … The No. 10 pick in the 2008 NFL Draft out of the University of Tennessee, Mayo was NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year that season. … Was a two-time Pro Bowl selection in 2010 and 2012 at linebacker, and a 2010 first-team All-Pro selection. … As a player, earned a reputation for spending long hours at the facility, putting in extra work both in the weight room and the film room.

What they're saying about Mayo: Patriots outside linebacker Matthew Judon, via Fox Sports: "He understands the monotony of training camp and the grind of football and the football season. And every day, he finds a way to make the room fun, make watching film fun, make going over corrections [and] going over your mistakes fun and bright. And that's hard because he's sitting there telling you, ‘Well, you did this wrong. And this is why you did it wrong. And this is what we need it to be.' But it's not in those words. How he does that is amazing."

Jim Schwartz, Tennessee Titans

Age: 56

Position: Senior defensive assistant

NFL coaching experience: Cleveland Browns, personnel scout, 1993-95; Baltimore Ravens, outside linebackers coach, 1996-98; Tennessee Titans, defensive assistant, 1999; Titans, linebackers coach, 2000; Titans, defensive coordinator, 2001-08; Detroit Lions, head coach, 2009-13; Buffalo Bills, defensive coordinator, 2014; Philadelphia Eagles, defensive coordinator, 2016-20; Titans, senior defensive assistant, 2021-present.

About Schwartz: The unquestioned graybeard of the group of known targets. Roots in the NFL date back to the original Browns, when he was one of Bill Belichick's famed "slappies" that also included the likes of Eric Mangini, Phil Savage, Kirk Ferentz, Scott Pioli and Thomas Dimitroff. … A proponent of the 4-3 defensive scheme Woods also ran, and which best fits the talents of Browns All-Pro end Myles Garrett. … Believer in man-to-man coverage in secondary. That could play to strengths of Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward and rising-star cornerback Greg Newsome II, who just finished his second season with the Browns. … Was a defensive assistant on Titans' 1999 AFC championship team. … Called a "mastermind" by Titans' All-Pro defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth for his schemes while running the Titans' defense from 2001-08. … Went 29-52 as the Detroit Lions' head coach. … Did reach the NFC playoffs in his third season as the Lions coach, losing to the New Orleans Saints in the wild card round. … Turned around an Eagles defense that ranked in the 30s before his arrival as defensive coordinator, with the unit ranking fourth by his second season in 2017. That season, Philadelphia won the Super Bowl, defeating the Patriots 41-33. … Has spent the last two seasons helping with the Titans' defensive staff, essentially serving as a sounding board for the coaches in the meeting room.

What they're saying about Schwartz: Titans coach Mike Vrabel, via TennesseeTitans.com: "I think what his role is, it's just like everybody else: To help the team, to help us win. No job is too small for any of us, and I am confident that is what he'll do. As he works his way into what we are doing, it has been good to see him meeting with different guys and meeting with the defense and meeting with me. I would imagine that maybe he would look at players for the draft, as we get down here and we get a different set of eyes, a guy that has been around the league for a lot of years and has been successful."

Contact Chris at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Meet the Browns defensive coordinator targets after Joe Woods fired