Why Jaguars' Grant Udinski Will Be a Top Coaching Candidate

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have a coaching staff that should garner plenty of interest in the coming months.

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen put together a young and talented coaching staff this offseason, headlined by his hirings of Grant Udinski and Anthony Campanile. And with the Jaguars sitting at 10-4, it is clear that Coen and the Jaguars will see both coordinators get quite a bit of attention.

Udinski's Candacy

According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, is a name to be watched when teams start putting together their formal head coach searches in the coming weeks. It is far from surprising considering how much interest Udinski garnered with multiple offensive coordinator interviews last year, and his trajectory appears to be going in only one direction.

"It would be crazy to interview a 30-year-old for an NFL head coaching job, right? Right? Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski is a name you'll probably be hearing a lot more of in the coming weeks," Jones said.

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski talks to members of the media after an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Udinski turns 30 in January, he's the non-play-calling OC of the AFC South-leading Jags, and he may be interviewing for head coaching gigs in about five weeks from now. Udinski got into the league in 2020 when he followed Matt Rhule to Carolina from Baylor. Since then, he has worked his way up the offensive coaching ladder, spending three years in Minnesota before joining Liam Coen's inaugural staff in Jacksonville."

Udinski has been well-liked and respected in the Jaguars building since he was hired, with numerous Jaguars players noting in the locker room this season that his level of detail and preparation stands out amongst its own.

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski looks on during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Seahawks defeated the Jaguars 20-12. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Add in Udinski's youth, time with Kevin O'Connell and now his time with Coen and the Jaguars, and there is no reason to think Udinski won't get looks in head coach interviews sooner rather than later.

"He contributed to some of the best years of Kirk Cousins' career, then the best year of Sam Darnold's career and a resurgence in Trevor Lawrence's career this season. I am not saying Udinski gets a head coaching gig. He'd be almost 11 months younger than Sean McVay when he took the Rams job," Jones said.

"But the Jaguars can block teams from interviewing Udinski for a play-calling OC role, so the only way for a team to ensure they can get him in their building for a chat is to interview him for the vacant head coaching position. Teams interviewing folks for elevated positions only hoping to eventually hire them elsewhere in the organization has happened plenty in recent years even though it is not supposed to. At the very least, teams may want to try to pick the brain of the young, bright offensive star."

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski before an NFL preseason matchup at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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