Why Grant Udinski is Ready to be an NFL Head Coach

Liam Coen proved this season with the Jacksonville Jaguars that experience isn't the end-all, be-all when it comes to being a successful NFL head coach. Despite coming into the year with just two seasons' worth of play calling, he dramatically changed this team for the better, leading them to their second-most wins in franchise history and a return to the playoffs just one year removed from a 4-13 finish.

Now, teams across the league are looking for their own Coen. There's no better place to look than in his own building, with the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns interviewing 30-year-old offensive coordinator Grant Udinski for their head coaching vacancies. Unlike Coen, he doesn't have any play calling experience in the NFL and is nearly a decade younger than Coen was when the Jaguars hired him.

Minnesota Vikings, NFL playoffs, Los Angeles Rams, Grant Udinski — Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Grant Udinski has learned from the best

Grant Udinski has been a quick riser in the NFL ranks. He began his coaching career as an assistant for the Carolina Panthers back in 2020. By 2022, at 26 years old, he earned a unique promotion with the Minnesota Vikings, as the assistant to the head coach/special projects under Kevin O'Connell. What does that mean? Well, according to Udinski himself, he was essentially learning the ins and outs of being a head coach in this league:

I interviewed #Jaguars OC Grant Udinski before the season about his rise. Here he is discussing everything he learned with the Vikings under Kevin O’Connell.

Udinski, just 30 years old, is now a finalist for the #Browns HC job.

(Full interview is here: https://t.co/oobsYh4eg6) pic.twitter.com/8viGIcOdPo
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 18, 2026

"I was spending all day of every day with Kevin, so I’m getting a behind-the-scenes 360-degree look at what does a head coach's day look like, what does a head coach do, who does a head coach interact with, you know, his different responsibilities, what those interactions look like? What are the demands of the football side of the building, some business side, athletic training staff, strength and conditioning staff, nutrition staff, all those pieces of the puzzle — how they come together and how a coach manages all of that."

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL training camp, Trevor Lawrence, Offensive Coordinator Grant Udinski — Jaguars Offensive Coordinator Grant Udinski talks with Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) during the Jaguars 14th NFL training camp session at Miller Electric Center Tuesday August 12, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars travel to New Orleans to play the Saints this Sunday in their second preseason game. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What about the Jaguars?

This past year was the furthest step in Udinski's career track so far in the NFL, with Liam Coen and the Jacksonville Jaguars hiring him as the new offensive coordinator. He didn't call plays, as Coen had final say on that side of the ball, but he did work diligently to help design the schemes and game plans, while also working intimately with the players, especially quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

"I’ve never really met anyone like him. Like the way he approaches the preparation, the process, the attention to detail… there’s no stones that are left unturned… Grant is one of the big factors, and he oversees it, and he’s done a great job."

“I’ve never really met anyone like him. The way he approaches the preparation process, the attention to detail, you know just the game planning in general… There’s no stones that are left unturned in his approach with us in the QB room.”@trevorlawrence on Coach Udinski. pic.twitter.com/Wu8Nvw05Ry
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) December 17, 2025

"Really just from our conversations back in the spring, and he just has this knowledge of the system and understanding the run game, in the pass game, and clearly communicating it to me so I could learn it quickly… there’s so many specific things that you’re looking for when you’re planning against the defense, and he helped me a lot to see things quicker, pick up on different tendencies a defense might have, and you know he’s been awesome for me."

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