The Browns will once again be represented on the sidelines at the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
Assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone will serve as the head coach for the American team.
"It's truly an honor to be a part of the premiere college all-star game and I am beyond excited to have the opportunity to coach this extraordinary group of seniors," Ventrone said in a statement. "I watched the Senior Bowl Roster Reveal show on NFL Network this morning and I couldn't believe how many great prospects were committed to the game. My staff and I will have these guys ready to roll."
Ventrone re-joined the Browns coaching staff as the assistant head coach and special teams coordinator in 2023 after playing for the team from 2009-12. He has 19 years of experience both as an NFL player and coach, where he played and coached in two Super Bowls.
In his first season with the Browns in 2023, he helped the kicking and punting units set multiple franchise records. K Dustin Hopkins' 33 made field goals were the most by a Brown in a season and his eight 50-plus yard field goals were also a team record. He finished second to Jim Brown (126 in 1965) for the most points scored by a Brown in a season with 123. Hopkins also set an NFL record with at least one 50-plus yard field goal in five consecutive games. P Corey Bojorquez set a franchise record with a 49.4 punt average, while his 31 punts inside the 20-yard line were one away from the team record. The Browns also led the league with three blocked field goals in 2023.
While the Browns dealt with their struggles during the 2024 season, Ventrone helped their punting unit to find success. Bojorquez led the NFL in punts inside the 10-yard line with 16 and finished third in punts inside the 20-yard line with 36. Bojorquez also set a franchise record with 36 punts into the 20 during the 2024 season. He finished the season with a 49.3 punt average and a 41.8 net punting average, both figures which were the second-most by a Brown in a season.
Ventrone began his coaching career with the Patriots in 2015 serving as a special teams assistant, a role he held until 2017. He helped the Patriots win Super Bowl LI. During his tenure, Michael Slater was named to the Pro Bowl as the special teams player all three seasons and K Stephen Gostkowski earned the honor in 2015. Gostkowski also led the NFL in scoring in 2015.
Ventrone then became the Colts special teams coordinator in 2018 and spent five seasons with Indianapolis. During that time, the Colts led the NFL in kickoff return average (24.9) and ranked fourth in punt return average (10.3). He helped multiple special teams players to the Associated Press All-Pro team, including Ashton Dulin (special teams player, second team in 2021), Luke Rhodes (long snapper, first team in 2021 and second team in 2020) and George Odum (special teams player, first team in 2020). Rhodes was also named to the Pro Bowl in 2021. Ventrone helped build a top 10 special teams unit in each of the last three seasons with the Colts. NFL analyst Rick Gosselin ranked Indianapolis eighth in the NFL in special teams in 2022, second in 2021 and fourth in 2020.
Yet, Ventrone also brings the perspective of playing in the league. He appeared in 97 career games during his 10-year NFL career and recorded 13 career defensive tackles, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and 57 special teams stops. He helped the Patriots advance to Super Bowl XLII.
During his time with the Browns from 2009-12, Ventrone appeared in 56 games and registered 31 special teams tackles. He played a key role on both kickoff return and kickoff coverage, helping the Browns to an NFL-best average starting position of 31.4 and to a league-best defensive kickoff return average of 18.9 in 2009. Ventrone also registered a 35-yard run on a fake punt, which tied for the longest run of the season for the Browns in 2012.
"Bubba is an incredible coach who has immediate credibility with his players due to his decorated playing career," head coach Kevin Stefanski said in a statement. "As the special teams coordinator, he does an outstanding job coaching all of the players on our roster in the special teams phases. He's a master motivator and he gets the most out of every player. He will do a great job leading the American squad in this year's Senior Bowl."
This is the third year the Senior Bowl has implemented a "Coach Up" format where coordinators and assistant coaches are placed into elevated or different roles from the ones they currently hold with their respective clubs.
Head coaches and general managers from all non-playoff teams and Wild Card round participants had the opportunity to nominate assistant coaches and those candidates were then selected by a group comprised of league office executives and representatives from the General Managers Advisory Committee. In total, at least one coach from 13 different teams that submitted nominations was chosen for this year's game.
The Reese's Senior Bowl provides top seniors and draft prospects a chance to showcase their talent and connect with coaches, scouts and front office members. There are three practices before the game on Feb. 1.
The Senior Bowl is coming off four consecutive drafts with at least 100 players selected, which has represented over 40 percent of the entire past four draft classes. The 2024 Senior Bowl game featured a record 110 drafted players, including 10 first-rounders and 45 of top 100 picks.
As Ventrone coaches the American team, Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka will serve as the head coach for the National team.
"We're excited to be getting two outstanding coaches with such great reputations leading our teams this year. I was part of the Patriots scouting staff that drafted Bubba Ventrone back in 2005, so I know how smart and competitive he is," Reese's Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy said in a statement. "Mike Kafka has already had numerous head coaching interviews over the past couple hiring cycles and many people I've talked to around the league believe it's only a matter time before he gets one of those jobs. Our players will leave Mobile as better players than when they arrived after spending the week with these two men and their respective staffs."
