Travis Switzer, an Akron graduate and former Zips center, is the Cleveland Browns' new offensive coordinator under head coach Todd Monken. The move brings a Northeast Ohio-trained coach back into the Browns' building and follows Switzer's work helping build one of the league's most dangerous rushing attacks in Baltimore. His climb from performance staff assistant to NFL coordinator has been steady and signals Monken's intent to lean into a physical, run-first edge.
According to the Cleveland Browns, Monken officially named Switzer offensive coordinator and noted that the two worked together in Baltimore, where Switzer spent nine seasons and served as run game coordinator from 2023 to 2025. "He was our run game coordinator, and that's where it all starts with your ability to run the football," Monken said, adding that Switzer is "intentional, he's intelligent and he can teach." The Browns framed the hire as the opening move in assembling a staff to overhaul Cleveland's offense.
Akron roots and rise through the ranks
Switzer played center at the University of Akron from 2011 to 2014, starting 36 consecutive games and earning Academic All-MAC honors and back-to-back Harry "Doc" Smith Awards while completing a degree in sports management, according to University of Akron game notes. His durability in the middle of the line and his academic record helped launch him into coaching after a brief pro tryout and set the foundation for the NFL path he began in Baltimore in 2017.
Ravens run game that raised his profile
During the seasons he overlapped with Monken in Baltimore, the Ravens built one of the NFL's most productive rushing attacks, totaling 3,189 rushing yards in 2024 (an NFL-best 187.6 yards per game), according to The Football Database. Those numbers were widely cited when Cleveland pursued him and highlighted the staff's ability to pair a power running game with efficient passing, a key selling point for Switzer's candidacy.
Switzer's message to the city
At his introductory press conference, Switzer described a collaborative approach with Monken that focuses on teaching and player development, according to the team's transcript. He said he intends to build the offense around the strengths of the current roster while emphasizing line play and the running game. The comments cast the hire as both a homecoming and a practical schematic fit.
What it could mean on the field
The Browns' rushing attack finished 27th in yards in 2025, leaving obvious room for improvement that Monken and the front office expect Switzer to address, per NFL.com. Switzer's background, which includes work with tight ends, receivers and the run game in Baltimore, gives him a broader toolbox than a single-role specialist, and his hiring signals that the Browns will chase more physical run concepts while still mixing in modern passing schemes. If the ground game takes a step forward, Cleveland could find better balance heading into training camp.
Local significance
For Akron and the rest of Northeast Ohio, Switzer's promotion is a local bragging point and another example of the region's imprint on NFL coaching staffs. Local outlets first detailed his path from Lancaster through Akron to the NFL, and the Akron Beacon Journal highlighted the Akron connection and Switzer's rise as the story developed.
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