Cleveland Browns assistants tracker: Alex Van Pelt to again hold QB coach title, per report

Alex Van Pelt will once again have the role of quarterbacks coach along with his offensive coordinator duties with the Browns, per Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot.

That's one of two staff moves which were reported on Sunday. A league source confirmed NFL Network's Mike Garafolo report that the Browns were bringing in veteran assistant coach Bill Musgrave to be a senior offensive assistant.

Van Pelt held both roles during his first two years with the Browns in 2020-21. Drew Petzing was elevated to the quarterbacks coach role for the 2022 season, but departed last week to be the offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals.

With the importance of getting quarterback Deshaun Watson back to his Pro Bowl form after a rocky six games to finish last season, coach Kevin Stefanski elected to stick with someone with whom Watson was already familiar instead of hiring from outside. Watson spoke often once he returned from his 11-game suspension about developing a relationship with both Stefanski and Van Pelt.

Van Pelt being named as the quarterbacks coach means the only position coach role that has yet to be publicly known is the cornerbacks coach. The Browns are bringing in former Utah State defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda to coach the safeties, half filling the vacancy created with defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator Jeff Howard departing to be the linebackers coach for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Veteran assistant coach Bill Musgrave to be a senior offensive assistant

Musgrave spent the last three seasons as the offensive coordinator at the University of California. Outside of those three years and his 2001-02 stint as the University of Virginia's offensive coordinator, the rest of his lengthy coaching career has been spent in the NFL.

That includes from 2011-13, when Musgrave was the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. His assistant quarterbacks coach then was Stefanski, who is now bringing him to the Browns.

The 55-year-old Musgrave was best known as a player for being the backup to Joe Montana and Steve Young with the San Francisco 49ers from 1991-94. He then served as John Elway's backup with the Denver Broncos from 1995-96.

Musgrave's coaching career began in 1997 as the Oakland Raiders' quarterbacks coach. He would also spend time with the Philadelphia Eagles (1998; 2014), Carolina Panthers (1999-2000), Jacksonville Jaguars (2003-04), Washington (2005), Atlanta Falcons (2006-10), Vikings (2011-13), Eagles (2014), Raiders (2015-16) and Broncos (2017-18).

At every previous stop, Musgrave served quarterbacks coach and/or offensive coordinator.

Feb. 21 update: Utah State DC Ephraim Banda to coach safeties

The Browns have made their first addition to the defensive staff, bringing in Utah State defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda to coach safeties, a league source confirmed to the Beacon Journal.

ESPN's Pete Thamel was the first to report Banda's hiring.

Banda, 41, spent the last two seasons as the defensive coordinator for Utah State, which won the Mountain West Conference in 2021. That season the Aggies were No. 3 in the country in tackles for loss.

The bulk of Banda's coaching career has been linked to Manny Diaz, who hired him in 2012 as a graduate assistant at the University of Texas. He followed Diaz to Mississippi State in 2015, becoming a defensive quality control coach.

When Diaz left for Miami (Fla.) in 2016, Banda went with him, coaching the safeties from 2016-20. Banda added the co-defensive coordinator title while with the Hurricanes in 2018.

Feb. 19 update: Cardinals hire QB coach Drew Petzing to be OC

Drew Petzing was always seen as Jonathan Gannon's top choice to be his offensive coordinator if he got a head-coaching job during this cycle. Now that the former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator is the Arizona Cardinals' head coach, he's bringing the Browns' quarterbacks coach on to be his top offensive assistant.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Sunday morning that Petzing was being hired by the Cardinals, the first offensive assistant coach the Browns have lost this offseason. Defensive backs coach Jeff Howard (Los Angeles Chargers inside linebackers coach) and defensive line coach Chris Kiffin (Houston Texans linebackers coach) have also taken new jobs.

Should coach Kevin Stefanski turn to an internal candidate to fill Petzing's role, he could essentially do the same thing he did with Petzing. That would be to elevate tight ends coach T.C. McCartney to the quarterback coach position.

The Cardinals had officially requested permission to speak with Petzing on Thursday. They hired Eagles linebackers coach Luke Rallis to be their defensive coordinator on Saturday evening.

Other reported candidates for the offensive coordinator position included Washington Commanders receivers coach Drew Terrell and New Orleans Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas.

Gannon, the Cleveland native and St. Ignatius High School graduate, held his introductory news conference with the Cardinals on Thursday. He had interviewed for the job on Monday, a day after the Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 57 in the Cardinals' home stadium.

Petzing was in his first season as the Browns' quarterbacks coach last season. Prior to that, he spent two seasons as the tight ends coach under head coach Kevin Stefanski, with whom he had coached with in Minnesota from 2014-19.

Petzing and Gannon's connection was with the Vikings. The two were together in Minnesota from 2014-17.

Feb. 14 update: Chris Kiffin becoming Houston Texans linebackers coach

The Browns second defensive assistant expected to depart is defensive line coach Chris Kiffin. KPRC television in Houston's Aaron Wilson reported Monday Kiffin will join DeMeco Ryans' staff with the Houston Texans.

Kiffin and Ryans coached together with the San Francisco 49ers from 2018-19. Kiffin then departed the Bay Area to become Stefanski's defensive line coach in Cleveland.

Kiffin would work under Ryans and new defensive coordinator Matt Burke, who is expected to come over from the Cardinals. The irony there is that the Browns tried to speak with Burke as a potential replacement for Kiffin, but the Cardinals blocked the lateral move.

Wilson reported on Tuesday evening that Kiffin would coach the Texans' linebackers.

Feb. 10, update: Jeff Howard to be Chargers inside linebackers coach

There's been little movement with regards to the Browns coaching staff since the season ended. That is, except for the change in defensive coordinator.

That changed on Friday when reports emerged that the Browns' defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Jeff Howard is leaving Cleveland for the Los Angeles Chargers. ESPN's Jake Trotter was the first to report the move.

Howard will coach the Chargers' inside linebackers. He last coached linebackers as a defensive assistant with the Minnesota Vikings from 2015-18, part of a seven-year stint as a defensive assistant with the franchise from 2013-19.

The Browns' pass defense ranked fifth each of the last two seasons, allowing 196.2 passing yards in 2022 after giving up 202.3 yards in 2021. In 2020, when the Browns went to the playoffs in head coach Kevin Stefanski's first season, they were ranked 22nd in pass defense at 247.6 yards per game.

Howard's departure is the only major move to occur on the Browns' staff since defensive coordinator Joe Woods was fired hours after the season finale and Jim Schwartz was hired a week-and-a-half later.

Cardinals blocked Browns' attempt to speak to DL coach Matt Burke

When Schwartz was hired, there were expectations of some staff changes on that side of the ball. One name which was tied to him, on Friday, reportedly will be hired instead as the Houston Texans' defensive coordinator.

Former Arizona Cardinals defensive line coach Mike Burke, according to multiple reports, will be joining DeMeco Ryan's staff in Houston. MMQB's Albert Breer reported Friday the Cardinals had blocked the Browns' request to interview Burke, ostensibly to be the defensive line coach in Cleveland.

Burke worked with Schwartz at stops with the Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles during his career. He's also worked for the Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.

Contact Chris at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Alex Van Pelt to add QB coach title with Browns as well as being OC