The Cleveland Browns named Kevin Stefanski their new head coach on Monday, plumping for the man who guided the Minneota offense in a run to the second round of the NFL playoffs. Stefanski, 37, arrives in Cleveland after his first full season as offensive coordinator of the Vikings, who finished 10-6 in the regular season and shocked the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the playoffs before falling on Saturday to the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers. "We are thrilled to welcome Kevin as the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns," team owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said. "We were looking for a strong leader of this football team, a very bright coach with a high football IQ, who could establish a strong understanding of what he expected of his players, hold them accountable and confidently navigate the challenges and opportunities that present themselves throughout a season. "Kevin exemplifies these qualities and more." Stefanski was the seventh of eight candidates to interview for the job, which became available when the Browns fired Freddie Kitchens shortly after the final defeat of Cleveland's 6-10 campaign. Kitchens lasted just one season as the Browns missed the playoffs for an 18th straight year. Stefanski was the longest tenured coach in Minnesota, logging 14 seasons under three different head coaches with the organization. He was elevated from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator late in the 2018 season. bb/rcw