CLEVELAND, Ohio \u2014 If the Browns had interviewed Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski for their head coach vacancy a week earlier, he would\u2019ve still been in his 20s.<\/p>\n
The day they requested an interview with him \u2014 Jan. 12 \u2014 Udinski, who\u2019s meeting with the Browns virtually today, turned 30.<\/p>\n
If Udinski nails the interview and the Browns hire him to replace Kevin Stefanski, he\u2019ll be the youngest coach ever hired in the NFL. Rams coach Sean McVay currently holds that distinction, having been hired at 30 years and 354 days in 2017. Two weeks later, he turned 31. <\/p>\n
But if Udinski does as well in front of Browns GM Andrew Berry, owner Jimmy Haslam and the rest of the team\u2019s search committee today as he has in front of NFL players and coaches during his meteoric rise to coordinator, he just might supplant McVay as the youngest wiz kid to take the league by storm. <\/p>\n
He\u2019s the ninth candidate to interview for the Browns job, following their own offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, their own defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher, Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, and Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.<\/p>\n
They might also request an interview with Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, who\u2019s in high demand.<\/p>\n
Following Udinski\u2019s interview on Saturday, the Browns will embark on some second interviews next week, beginning with Schwartz on Monday and Monken on Tuesday. Rees, who might have a chance to go with Kevin Stefanski to Atlanta or wherever he ends up, is not expected to interview a second time. <\/p>\n
As for Udinski, some of his players here would be older than him, and others, such as Myles Garrett, would be the same age, but he might be just what this young roster needs \u2014 a coach who can relate to how they think and learn. He\u2019s a product of the video game and social media era, but one who\u2019s wise beyond his years and has demonstrated remarkable leadership qualities. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s more the experiences I\u2019ve had that have brought me to this point,\u201d Udinski said last year when he was hired by the Jaguars. \u201cI can\u2019t control the number of my age, so it\u2019s not something I concern myself a ton with. I would say I take every measure possible to do everything I can to be prepared for whatever responsibility comes my way.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Udinski lore goes, he lived in his car in a Walmart parking lot for his first week in Waco, Texas, where he got his start as a graduate assistant at Baylor in 2019 under coach Matt Rhule. Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Snow soon found out and invited him to move in.<\/p>\n
If the Browns hire Udinski and retain Schwartz, 59, as defensive coordinator, they could also give Schwartz the added title of assistant head coach and have him mentor the first-time head coach. <\/p>\n
Udinski, who has never called plays, also needs only cite the job he\u2019s done with Sam Darnold in Minnesota and Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville to capture the players\u2019 attention.<\/p>\n
In 2024 in Minnesota, where he worked under offensive genius Kevin O\u2019Connell, Udinski helped put 2018 No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold back on the NFL map, helping coach him to a 14-3 record and career highs in completion percentage (66.2%), yards (4,319) and touchdown passes (35).<\/p>\n
During that season, the Vikings offense finished top 10 in the NFL in multiple categories including sixth in passing yards per game (237.8), seventh in passing yards per play (7.38), ninth in points per game (25.4) and 10th in first downs per game (20.8). Minnesota was 9-1 in one-possession games in 2024, the second-best mark league-wide. <\/p>\n
Their 15 games with 20-plus points scored tied for second-most in the NFL and their 432 total points marked their third-highest total in franchise history. Three members of the Vikings offense \u2014 Darnold, receiver Justin Jefferson and tackle Brian O\u2019Neill \u2014 were named to the 2025 Pro Bowl Games, and Jefferson was voted a unanimous AP first-team All-Pro.<\/p>\n
The production, and the high praise from O\u2019Connell earned Udinski the Jaguars\u2019 offensive coordinator job under O\u2019Connell\u2019s friend and former Rams colleague Liam Coen. <\/p>\n
\u201cInterviewing Grant was like interviewing a guy who could build a car from scratch for a job at a car wash,\u201d O\u2019Connell said when he hired Udinski in Minnesota in 2022.<\/p>\n
He also cited his in-depth knowledge of both sides of the ball, from having played tight end at Davidson and defensive end at Towson. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got such an unbelievable understanding, from his background on offense and defense, and his sheer football stamina is something I really admire,\u201d O\u2019Connell told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. \u201cI joke with him all the time, \u2018Nobody loves football like you, man.\u2019 His mind never really wanders from it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coen was equally effusive in his praise when he hired Udinski. <\/p>\n
\u201cGrant will bring a wealth of knowledge, energy and a winning mindset to help lead our offense here in Jacksonville,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s a rising star in this league that has been a pillar of success for the Vikings organization and we can\u2019t wait to have him lead our offense.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under Udinski, Lawrence produced the winningest season of his five-year career, leading the Jaguars to a 13-4 record and AFC South Title. In 17 starts, he completed 341 of 560 passes for 4,007 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, finishing with a 91.0 passer rating. His 235.7 passing yards per game marked a significant uptick in production and consistency.<\/p>\n
Lawrence\u2019s dual-threat capabilities added another dimension; he contributed 82 rushing attempts for 359 yards and nine rushing scores, making him one of the league\u2019s more versatile signal\u2011callers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never really met anyone like him,\u201d Lawrence said recently of his OC. \u201cThe way he approaches the preparation process, the attention to detail, the game-planning in general, the things that he thinks about, the conversations we have throughout the whole week. It\u2019s a very detailed process, and there are no stones that are left unturned in his approach with us in the QB room.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Jaguars\u2019 season ended in dramatic, heartbreaking fashion with a 27-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC wild card round at EverBank Stadium, bringing an otherwise impressive campaign to a close. But Udinski\u2019s impact on the offense and Lawrence didn\u2019t go unnoticed.<\/p>\n
The offense climbed to sixth in the league in points scored with 474 total points (27.9 per game), a remarkable transformation from recent years. The unit also finished 11th in total offense, averaging 351.9 yards per game, underscoring a more dynamic and efficient attack.<\/p>\n
Udinski\u2019s path to Jacksonville was swift. When Rhule became head coach of Carolina Panthers in 2020, he brought Udinski along as a coaching assistant, his first NFL gig.<\/p>\n
After two seasons in Carolina, Udinski was hired by O\u2019Connell in 2022 as assistant to the head coach\/special projects, and he quickly worked his way up to assistant quarterbacks coach in 2023, and then added the title of assistant offensive coordinator in 2024. <\/p>\n
Having worked under both O\u2019Connell and Coen, Udinski hails from the coveted McVay coaching tree, and is widely considered one of the brightest young stars in the business.<\/p>\n
It might be a year or two early for him to sit in the head coach\u2019s chair, but if he\u2019s as good as most people think he is, he\u2019ll grow into the job. <\/p>\n