The Ravens completed an interview with Cleveland Browns Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz for their head coach opening.
Here are five things to know about Schwartz:
He knows how to generate a pass rush.
If there's one area that a Schwartz defense thrives in, it's getting to the quarterback.
In three years of being the Browns' defensive coordinator, Cleveland had the third-most sacks (53) in 2025, the 13th most (41) in 2024, and the sixth most (49) in 2023. After his defense ranked first in yards allowed in 2023, Schwartz was named the Assistant Coach of the Year.
Most recently, Schwartz helped Myles Garrett break the single-season sack record with 23 quarterback takedowns. Garrett is a great player, but Schwartz's scheme helped.
The Ravens were tied for the second-fewest sacks (30) in the league this season, an area of necessary improvement that Schwartz would immediately help.
The Browns want to retain his services.
Although Cleveland is undergoing a regime change with Kevin Stefanski no longer in town, the Browns want to keep Schwartz in some capacity.
Cleveland interviewed Schwartz for its head coach opening, and cornerback Denzel Ward gave his seal of approval to crown the 59-year-old as the team's new head coach.
"Me, personally, I have so much love and respect for coach Schwartz," Ward said. "I would highly recommend Coach Schwartz for a head coaching job. [In Cleveland], definitely. He's a great coach. He's helped my game tremendously. Puts us in great position [to succeed], great leader. I can't say enough great things about him."
According to FOX Sports' Jay Glazer, the Browns are telling other head coach candidates that they would like Schwartz to remain the team's defensive coordinator.
His NFL coaching journey started in Baltimore.
Schwartz received his first coaching opportunity in the NFL with the Ravens, serving as a defensive assistant from 1996-1998, when the team first came to Baltimore.
From there, he jumped to the Tennessee Titans, where he got his first shot at being a coordinator. After 10 seasons in Tennessee, Schwartz served as the Detroit Lions' head coach from 2009-2013, leading the Lions to a 10-6 campaign and a playoff appearance in 2011, three years after the team went 0-16.
Schwartz finished his five-year Lions tenure with a 29-51 record.
He has strong Maryland ties.
Making the transition back to Baltimore wouldn't be difficult for Schwartz.
On top of the fact that he coached for the Ravens, Schwartz grew up in Baltimore and attended Mount Saint Joseph High School. One of nine kids in his family, Schwartz grew up with an appreciation for tough cities that have a deep passion for sports.
"I've worked in some blue-collar towns," Schwartz said in 2016. "I worked in Cleveland; I worked in Buffalo; I worked in Detroit. I grew up in Baltimore, like I said. There's something about the passion in those cities that's fun. It's fun for coaches."
Following high school, Schwartz attended Georgetown, where he was a four-year letter winner as a linebacker. After earning a degree in economics, he was a graduate assistant at the University of Maryland in 1989.
He learned under some of the greatest names in football.
Before he coached in the NFL, Schwartz began his journey in the league as a college/pro scout for the Cleveland Browns for three years (1993-1995).
It was in Cleveland that he had a front-row seat to watch who would become two of the greatest coaches of all time: Bill Belichick and Nick Saban.
"I would say I got a bachelor's degree from Georgetown, but I got a Ph.D. in football-ology from Bill Belichick," Schwartz said in 2014, per ESPN. "And that's the thing that's probably guided my career the most, is the time I spent with him in Cleveland."
Schwartz also worked with Ravens Executive Vice President Ozzie Newsome while the two were in Cleveland. At the time, Newsome's title was assistant to the head coach/offense/pro personnel before being promoted to Director of Player Personnel. Newsome said Schwartz's skill set was a great fit for the ambiguity of his role.
"Well, he could multitask," Newsome said of Schwartz, per the Akron Beacon Journal. "He also was very, very good from a detail standpoint."
