CLEVELAND, Ohio \u2014 Can Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, who just turned 30 on Jan. 12, convince the Browns in his second interview today that he has what it takes to lead the team such a young age?<\/p>\n
If the Browns hire Udinski, whom they really like a lot, he\u2019ll be the youngest head coach ever hired in the NFL, beating out the Rams\u2019 Sean McVay, who was hired in 2017 at 30 years, 353 days. Udinski will also interview Sunday for the Bills head coach vacancy, his second head coach opportunity in this cycle. <\/p>\n
The Browns also still like their other three finalists in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. Schwartz interviewed for the second time on Monday and Monken on Tuesday, and both remain in the mix after those sessions. They\u2019ll talk to Scheelhaase in person on Monday after the NFC Championship Game, possibly in Los Angeles. <\/p>\n
The Browns must also interview another diverse candidate besides Scheelhaase to satisfy the Rooney Rule before they can make their hire. In addition, two of their finalists, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, withdrew from the search this week because of other opportunities, and because they may have had a sense they weren\u2019t in the top four. Minter was hired Thursday as head coach of the Ravens, and McDaniel is interviewing with the Bills. He also has a chance to become Chargers offensive coordinator. <\/p>\n
The Browns seem to be leaning towards one of their two younger candidates in Udinski and Scheelhaase, 35, and hope that Schwartz will want to stick around as coordinator if he doesn\u2019t promoted. But they also like Monken and Schwartz, and could possibly end up with Monken as head coach and Schwartz as coordinator. Or they could hire Schwartz as head coach and try to hire one of their other three finalists as offensive coordinator.<\/p>\n
But if Udzinski and Scheelhaase interview in person as well as they did virtually, the Browns could hire one of them by next week.<\/p>\n
As for Udinski, the difference between him and the reigning youngest head coach ever hired in the NFL is that McVay had three years\u2019 experience as a coordinator in Washington from 2014-16, including the final two as a highly-successful play caller. Udinski, coming off his first year as Jaguars coordinator, hasn\u2019t called plays at any point in his career, but brings that same brilliant McVay-like mind and a wisdom beyond his years.<\/p>\n
Vikings coach Kevin O\u2019Connell, the former Browns quarterbacks coach, told the Minnesota Star Tribune that interviewing Udinski in 2022 for his assistant to the head coach opening was like \u201cinterviewing a guy who could build a car from scratch for a job at a car wash.<\/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. I joke with him all the time, \u2018Nobody loves football like you, man.\u2019 His mind never really wanders from it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Browns, on a mission to field an explosive offense, aren\u2019t looking for an accomplished play caller to replace Kevin Stefanski. They\u2019re looking for the right leader of the franchise to contend for the Super Bowl and deliver sustained winning for the foreseeable future. What\u2019s more, they\u2019re seeking the right person to guide their young and rebuilding roster into a championship contender. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just leadership by position, but I\u2019d say leadership more globally,\u201d Browns GM Andrew Berry said in his press conference to address the firing of Kevin Stefanski. \u201cBecause when you hire a head coach, it\u2019s someone who has to be able to lead your players, lead your staff, lead the organization, lead through hardship and lead through crisis. NFL years, they\u2019re like dog years. They\u2019re really difficult seasons. That\u2019ll be at the forefront because it\u2019s first and foremost a leadership position.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that the coach\/GM relationship is a lot like a marriage. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to work side-by-side and fight back-to-back,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I think that that\u2019s really, really important because you have to be aligned in terms of how you\u2019re positioning the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Udinski, heading into his seventh season in the NFL, has had more life experiences than most people his age, having traveled the world, mostly solo, on hiking and backpacking trips to far-flung places like an island off the coast of Finland or Hardangerfjord, Norway.<\/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
O\u2019Connell noted of Udinski\u2019s excursions that \u201che\u2019s not staying in the most luxurious accommodations. He\u2019s sleeping on the side of a mountain somewhere. I mean, if we could ever do a day in the life of him when he\u2019s not doing football, it would be much more exciting than when he is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Udinski also slept in his car in a Wal-Mart parking lot for a week at Baylor when he was breaking into the business as a graduate assistant under Matt Rhule in 2019. Assistant defensive coordinator Phil Snow found out and invited Udinski to stay with him.<\/p>\n
Udinski, who played one season at tight end for Davidson College in 2015 and three seasons at defensive end at Towson from 2016-18, followed Rhule to Carolina as a coaching assistant in 2020-21 when Rhule took over as Panthers head coach.<\/p>\n
With a strong recommendation from former Browns coach Mike Pettine, who went to high school with Udinski\u2019s parents in Doylestown, Pa., O\u2019Connell hired Udinski in 2022 as assistant to the head coach\/special projects, a hybrid role that exposed him to advanced offensive scheming and game preparation. His performance earned him a promotion in 2023 to assistant quarterbacks coach, where he was thrust into quarterback development responsibilities. <\/p>\n
That season was turbulent due to quarterback injuries, and Udinski helped prepare multiple signal-callers \u2014 including Kirk Cousins, Jaren Hall, Joshua Dobbs, and Nick Mullens \u2014 as starters. In 2024, Udinski helped coach up No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy before and after his season-ending torn meniscus.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like that\u2019s where true intelligence, true wisdom lies: making complex concepts simple,\u201d McCarthy said then. \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t know he\u2019s one of the smartest in the room. That\u2019s something I really appreciate about him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ability to develop a young quarterback is highly-valued in this search given that the Browns might be starting second-year pro Shedeur Sanders or a rookie in 2026, or might draft a quarterback in 2027. <\/p>\n
Udinski was also instrumental in reviving the career of 2018 No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold in 2024, who went 14-3 record with career highs in completion percentage (66.2%), yards (4,319) and touchdown passes (35).<\/p>\n
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, second-best mark in the NFL.<\/p>\n
Udinski\u2019s efforts earned him the Jaguars coordinator job in 2025 under Liam Coen, who had worked with O\u2019Connell under Sean McVay with the Rams. <\/p>\n
With Udinski helping draw it up and Coen calling plays, Trevor Lawrence produced the winningest season of his five-year career, leading 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
He also rushed 82 times for 359 yards and nine TDs, showcasing his dual-threat ability. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never really met anyone like him,\u201d Lawrence said after a game..\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 Lawrence said.<\/p>\n
The Jaguars\u2019 season ended in dramatic, heartbreaking fashion with a 27\u201324 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 unit 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
The Browns will now complete their other two interviews, and possibly make their hire by next week. <\/p>\n