How Andrew Berry's remarks lead Grant Udinski to be frontrunner for Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are rightfully casting a wide net in their search to find their next head coach.

Most recently, on Monday, the Browns met with former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. They also have been in touch with ex-Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.

But notably, the Browns requested permission to interview Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, who just wrapped up his first year on the job. Udinski turned 30 on Monday and has an opportunity to interview for his first head coach position.

Udinski’s inspiring fast rise is a great story. Seven years ago, he was living in his car before accepting his first coaching gig. He helped revive Sam Darnold’s career with the Minnesota Vikings before helping Trevor Lawrence throw a career-high 29 touchdowns during the QB’s fifth season with the Jaguars.

After Browns general manager Andrew Berry fired Kevin Stefanski, Berry was peppered with questions about the importance of finding a head coach with experience.

“We’ll be pretty open minded,” Berry said. “I think there are a number of different archetypes of successful head coaches.”

Why Berry's remarks match Udinski's coaching profile

Berry went on to monologue about how Stefanski, who won two Coach of the Year awards, interviewed for Cleveland’s job twice, and the Browns were the only team interested in him during both of those hiring cycles.

So far, the Browns are the only team to request permission about speaking with Udinski.

“I think our responsibility is to search far and wide. There are good coaches out there. You know, we’ve just got to do our homework and find the right fit for us,” Berry said. “We’ll have no preconceived notions as we go into the search.”

Berry’s remarks set up nicely for an unproven coach like Udinski, who could be a fit with Berry.

Remember, when Berry was hired by the Browns in 2020, he was the youngest GM in the history of the league.

“When I say partnership, head coach, GM relationship is a lot like a marriage,” Berry explained of his need to be on the same page with his new coach. “And you have to work side by side and fight back to back. And I think that’s really, really important because you have to be aligned in terms of how you’re positioning the team.”

"Interviewing Grant was like interviewing a guy who could build a car from scratch for a job at a car wash," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell once said.

Berry’s rookie class was his best yet.

Key players including Mason Graham, Carson Schwesinger, Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin Jr. all proved to be promising pieces moving forward. The Browns have 10 more selections in April’s NFL Draft.

The Browns claim to believe that they could turn this organization around quickly. The organization has only won eight games over the last two seasons despite having expected back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year winner Myles Garrett anchoring their top-ranked defense.

Perhaps they could opt to hire the youngest head coach in NFL history to lead all of this premium young talent on their roster.