Mike Rutenberg

Mike Rutenberg (born October 29, 1981) is an American professional football coach who is currently the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He attended Cornell University and has previously coached for the Washington Redskins, UCLA Bruins, New Mexico State Aggies, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, and Atlanta Falcons.

Early life Ruternberg was born on October 29, 1981, in Washington, D.C. He attended the Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland. In college, Rutenberg competed in sprint football, a version of football which requires players to be under a certain weight and has an emphasis on speed and agility. Coaching career In 2003, Rutenberg began working for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) as a player personnel intern. The following year, he received the position of administrative assistant to the head coach, Joe Gibbs, which he held through 2005. In that role, he was Gibbs' "right-hand man, putting together the team's daily calendar, practice schedules and meeting presentations, [and working] hand-in-hand with Gibbs to research opponents from a statistical standpoint," according to USA Today.

Rutenberg served as assistant defensive backs coach for the Jaguars from 2013 to 2015, then became a defensive assistant in 2016. After one year there, he followed Saleh to the New York Jets and became the team's linebackers coach. After the 2024 season, he left the Jets and became the defensive pass game coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. In 2026, he was one of the coaches interviewed by the Tennessee Titans as a defensive coordinator candidate.

On February 20, 2026, Rutenberg was hired as the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns under new head coach Todd Monken.