Browns coach Kevin Stefanski believes Patriots ‘got a great one’ in Alex Van Pelt

Cleveland moved on from Alex Van Pelt after four seasons as offensive coordinator.

In the weeks after Kevin Stefanski became the 18th head coach in Cleveland Browns history, a former NFL quarterback became his offensive coordinator.

Alex Van Pelt would hold that role for four years before being hired in February by the New England Patriots and another first-time head coach in Jerod Mayo. But his previous offered a strong scouting report at the NFL Scouting Combine.

“A great one,” Stefanski said during his Wednesday press conference in Indianapolis. “I’ll start with the person. You’re not going to find a better person in this profession. AVP is a great friend of mine. I’m excited for him in that opportunity. You know, former player, has played in a bunch of different systems, has coached in different systems. He’s collaborative. So, I think the Patriots got a great one.”

Van Pelt, 53, was selected in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL draft at No. 216 overall. The University of Pittsburgh product’s career included early stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. He went on to appear in 31 games as a member of the Buffalo Bills, starting 11.

Following retirement, Van Pelt served as the quarterbacks coach and playcaller of NFL Europe’s Frankfurt Galaxy in 2005. He returned to the Bills from 2006 through 2009, rising from offensive quality control to quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. Subsequent stops with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals were made before arriving on Stefanski’s staff in 2020.

Van Pelt had quarterbacks coach added to his title ahead of his final year in Cleveland. A 11-6 regular season that spanned five starting quarterbacks followed. And well-traveled veteran Joe Flacco, who signed to the practice squad in November, would be among them on the way to earning NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

“That view from the quarterback position, when you’re playing, is pretty unique,” Stefanski told reporters of Van Pelt. “And I think he sees it through the eyes of those players. And I think he constructs the system through the eyes of those guys, which is so important.”

The Browns fired Van Pelt in January following a 45-14 loss to the Houston Texans in the AFC wild card. As the calendar turned, Ken Dorsey was introduced as his replacement at offensive coordinator.

“I kind of talked a little bit earlier about AVP, somebody I love as a person, as a coach,” added Stefanski. “Just we make decisions that are tough sometimes in this league, but that doesn’t change how I feel about him.”