Kevin Stefanski returns to in-person coaching with the Browns
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Kevin Stefanski is back at the helm of the Cleveland Browns. The head coach returned to team headquarters in Berea on Thursday after missing over a week after testing positive for COVID-19.
For Stefanski, getting back to his team couldn’t come soon enough. He had been sequestered in isolation in his basement after testing positive on January 5th.
“Those walls were closing in on me,” Stefanski said on his Zoom with reporters. “So I’m enjoying this big building.”
He was welcomed back by players and coaches. One player, backup QB Case Keenum, made sure the coach knew he was appreciated.
“Case Keenum told me he hid something in my office, and he asked if I smelled it yet,” Stefanski noted. “But I don’t because I lost my sense of smell.”
Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer filled in as acting head coach for Stefanski. He was glad to hand the duties back to the head coach.
“Anytime your leader comes back to the building and is going to lead us into battle this weekend, I think it’s a great thing for our football team,” Priefer said.
Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who took over play-calling duties in the wild-card win over Pittsburgh, expressed a similar sentiment.
“It’s huge,” Van Pelt said. “He’s such a presence around the guys. He was greatly missed while he wasn’t here, so having him back is big for us.”
While Stefanski did return, three of his assistants remain away from the team as they deal with their own positive COVID-19 diagnoses. Pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach Jeff Howard, tight ends coach Drew Petzing, and assistant offensive line coach Scott Peters are all still out.
