50 Under 40: Jags Land Two on Unique List of Ascending NFL Influencers

New Jaguars head coach Liam Coen and offensive coordinator Grant Udinski have landed on an elite list of 50 ascending coaches and difference-makers under age 40, The Athletic revealed Wednesday.

NFL writers Jordan Rodrigue and Mike Jones spent a year researching league influencers before revealing the 50 Under 40 names – which also includes three of the five finalists conducting second interviews this week for the Jaguars’ general manager vacancy: Ian Cunningham, James Gladstone, Josh Williams.

“Coen has made a rapid rise through the coaching ranks, landing Jacksonville's head job despite having only five years of NFL experience and just one as his team's primary play-caller,” Rodrigue and Jones wrote, noting Coen with Tampa Bay last year “displayed an ability to get the most out of his players and direct a potent attack despite dealing with injuries at key positions throughout the season.”

Coen, 39, hopes to direct a potent attack in Jacksonville with help from his new offensive coordinator, 29-year-old Udinski. Both Coen and Udinski worked previously with Kevin O’Connell, another name on the 50-person list.

Initially hired by O’Connell as Minnesota’s assistant to the head coach in 2022, Udinski spent the past two seasons as the Vikings’ assistant quarterbacks coach. In addition to Jacksonville, Udinski also interviewed for offensive-coordinator roles with the Texans, Patriots, Seahawks and Buccaneers.

Along with a young coaching staff, Jacksonville figures to field a young and talented front office. Williams, San Francisco’s director of scouting and football operations, was the first GM finalist to complete his in-person interview with the Jaguars on Wednesday. Rodrigue and Jones said Williams opted to stay with the 49ers rather than join Adam Peters in a new-look Commanders front office last year.

Gladstone, 34, is the only finalist to work previously with Coen, who was on Sean McVay’s Los Angeles staff while Gladstone worked closely with GM Les Snead.

During that time, the Rams completed a remarkable organizational pivot. They won the Super Bowl in 2021 with a roster consisting largely of big-name, high-priced veterans but then shifted to a draft-and-develop system that has nailed the last two drafts, The Athletic said.

“Gladstone oversaw the strategic overhaul of the Rams’ draft processes after 2022 and has since led their modern and complex methods.”

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