Tag: Grant Udinski

Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak will be compared to Grant Udinski

Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak will be compared to Grant Udinski

The Seattle Seahawks held a fairly thorough process when going through the motions of hiring a new offensive coordinator. Eventually, Mike Macdonald settled on Klint Kubiak. Kubiak was always considered a front-runner. One of those other front-runners got another job on Wednesday, when the Jacksonville Jaguars named Grant Udinski their new OC.

Both Kubiak and Udinski received two interviews apiece for the Seahawks’ opening. Kubiak, the first known candidate to emerge, was always considered the favorite. Others who received consideration included former Chicago Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown, who has since joined Mike Vrabel’s staff with the New England Patriots, who also recently plucked an assistant from Seattle’s 2024 staff.

Udinski received more league-wide interest than Kubiak did. He was a candidate for multiple openings. Seattle and Kubiak always seemed like a likely pairing, though the Cleveland Browns did show a little interest before they hired Tommy Rees.

Macdonald’s decision to hire Kubiak will be compared to Jacksonville’s one to appoint Udinski. It’s worth noting direct comparisons may be difficult though. Kubiak will call plays in Seattle. Udinski probably won’t do that for the Jaguars, who hired an offensive-minded head coach and play caller in Liam Coen.

Macdonald has to nail this OC decision after whiffing on Ryan Grubb. How Jacksonville’s offense performs next year will offer a hint whether choosing Kubiak over Udinski was the correct decision or not.

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3 Free agents who played with new Jaguars’ OC Grant Udinski

Let’s take a look at three Vikings’ free agents on offense who played alongside new Jaguars’ offensive coordinator Grant Udinski.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have officially named Grant Udinski as the team’s next offensive coordinator under head coach Liam Coen.

Udinski comes to the Jaguars as a fast riser in the coaching ranks and has worked very closely with Vikings’ head coach Kevin O’Connell and this past season with quarterback Sam Darnold, who had a career year in Minnesota.

Of course, the top item on the to-do list for Udinski and Coen will be getting quarterback Trevor Lawrence back on track.

Like any four-win team, there are positions of need for this Jaguars’ team to address this offseason. The team currently has just over $32 million in available cap space, which ranks as the 17th-most in football, although the Jaguars do have the means to create quite a bit more room if needed.

So, are there any pending Vikings’ free agents who could follow Udinski to Jacksonville? Potentially helping the transition would be that there is some overlap between what Coen does schematically and what O’Connell does in Minnesota.

Let’s take a look at three options.

RB Aaron Jones

With Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne, running back certainly isn’t a pressing need for the Jaguars. However, as Coen described in his introductory press conference, a big factor in getting Lawrence and the passing game going will be having a strong running game to lean on.

In Jones’ first season with the Vikings, he rushed for 1,186 yards at 4.4 yards per attempt with five touchdowns. He was also a big factor in the passing game with 64 targets, and as we look at the Bucs’ offense from 2024 under Coen, both Rachaad White and Bucky Irving were featured often in the pass game.

G Dalton Risner

In order to have a strong run game to lean on, as Coen said, the offensive line play in Jacksonville has to improve, and potentially that will have to be accomplished without Brandon Scherff who is set to be a free agent as well.

Throughout his career, Risner has been a steady presence as a pass protector and can provide the Jaguars’ offensive line unit with added experience along the interior having played over 5,100 career snaps.

TE Johnny Mundt

At a minimum, depth at the tight end position is needed for the Jaguars this season. Mundt had just 28 targets in the passing game in 2024, but was often utilized as a blocker. And as you can sense from the theme of these additions, an added blocking presence at the tight end position will further help the Jaguars’ running game.

Jaguars hire Vikings assistant coach to become new OC

Grant Udinski was the Vikings offensive coordinator and assistant quarterbacks coach in 2024.

After a handful of interview opportunities, Grant Udinski finally finds a new home in the NFL. After interviews with the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, and New England Patriots, Uudinski is announced as the new offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Grant Udinski was the Vikings offensive coordinator and assistant quarterbacks coach in 2024.

New Jaguars head coach shared his excitement about the hire telling, the team, “Grant will bring a wealth of knowledge, energy and a winning mindset to help lead our offense here in Jacksonville, he is a rising star in this league that has been a pillar of success for the Vikings organization and we can’t wait to have him lead our offense.”

Udinski leaving the Vikings at 29 years old and is considered one of the brightest young coaching minds in the NFL. While he will not be calling plays in Jacksonville, something that Liam Coen has said he will retain, but he will help turn their offense around.

The work he did with Sam Darnold is going to be the same type of work that is expected of him when he works with Trevor Lawrence. One can believe that played a major part in his earning of the position.

 

3 Things to know about Jaguars’ offensive coordinator Grant Udinski

Here are three things you need to know about Jaguars new offensive coordinator Grant Udinski.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have announced they’ve hired Grant Udinski to be the team’s offensive coordinator under head coach Liam Coen.

“Grant will bring a wealth of knowledge, energy and a winning mindset to help lead our offense here in Jacksonville,” said Head Coach Liam Coen in a statement. “He is a rising star in this league that has been a pillar of success for the Vikings organization and we can’t wait to have him lead our offense.”

While Coen will be the play-caller for the offense, Udinski will obviously play an important role in the construction of the offense, along with building and implementing the weekly game plans.

At the top of the to-do list for both Coen and Udinski will be getting quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville passing game back on track.

But before we dive into all of that, here are three things you need to know about the Jaguars’ next offensive coordinator:

Udinski worked closely under Vikings’ coach Kevin O’Connell

Udinski’s official title with the Vikings was assistant quarterbacks coach and special projects. And with that, Alec Lewis, who covers the Vikings for The Athletic, would say that Udinski worked “very, very closely” with head coach Kevin O’Connell.

Over the last three seasons with O’Connell at the helm, the Vikings are 34-17, which includes a 13 and most recently a 14 win season. With O’Connell having been the LA Rams offensive coordinator before joining the Vikings, there is a bit of a Sean McVay connection in terms of the offensive play-style with Udinski.

Beyond winning, O’Connell has done so with different quarterbacks in an offensive scheme that is multiple and does a good job of keeping the defense off-balanced.

Sam Darnold had a career year in 2024

With Udinski as the assistant quarterbacks coach, Sam Darnold put together a career season with the Vikings in 2024.

In addition to leading the Vikings to 14 wins, Darnold would complete 66% of his passes for 4,564 yards with 36 touchdowns to 13 interceptions.

As a whole, the Vikings’ offense would rank ninth in points per game scored last season and sixth in yards per pass attempt.

Udinski is a fast riser in the coaching ranks

Udinski is still just 29 years old, but has been a popular candidate this coaching cycle for offensive coordinator roles. According to Tom Pelissero, the Jaguars were one of five teams that Udinski has interviewed with since the season ended.

The intrigue is, in part, rooted in the success that the Vikings’ offense has had with different quarterbacks, and the high regard that O’Connell and his offensive scheme are held in around the NFL.

Udinski has been with the Vikings since 2022. Before that, he was the Carolina Panthers’ coaching assistant from 2020-2021 and a graduate assistant at Baylor in 2019.

Vikings assistant interviews for OC job with the Texans and Jaguars

Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski received two more offensive coordinator interviews this week, giving him five total.

It continues to be a busy offseason for Minnesota Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski. Over the past few days, he received two more offensive coordinator interviews with the AFC South.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Houston Texans completed an interview with Udinski on Thursday. The Texans fired Bobby Slowik on Jan. 24 after he had served as offensive coordinator the past two seasons.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero announced on Friday that the Jacksonville Jaguars will interview Udkinski. If hired, he would serve under first-year head coach Liam Coen, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator in 2024.

That makes five offensive coordinator interviews this coaching cycle for the 28-year-old Udinski. He has quickly ascended Kevin O’Connell’s staff since being hired in 2022 and has drawn the eye of teams around the league.

If Udinski doesn’t get hired this year, he will again be a hot candidate for a coordinator job in 2026, especially if J.J. McCarthy has a good first season as QB1. It can be painful as a fan to see coaches leave, but it helps O’Connell’s reputation if his coaching tree can be built.

Former Vikings playcaller joins Cleveland Browns staff for 2025

Former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave has been named the new quarterbacks coach for the Cleveland Browns.

With just one head coaching position remaining in the league, it seems certain that the Minnesota Vikings will retain the majority of their coaching staff for another year. Minnesota may still lose quarterback coach Grant Udinski as teams fill out their staff under new head coaches, but he may be the only loss.

But another former Vikings assistant coach is in the news getting a new position with his current team. According to Cleveland Browns beat writer Tony Grossi, the Browns have named former senior assistant Bill Musgrave to the quarterbacks coach under new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.

The quarterbacks coach will likely be a big job in Cleveland, as they have a lot of controversy at the position. Currently, it’s all but assumed that starting quarterback Deshaun Watson is not going to retain his starting position next season. Between his poor performance the last three seasons, his Achilles’ tendon injury, and past sexual assault situation, the team seems all but certain to replace Watson.

Musgrave has plenty of experience across the league, including a three-year stint he spent as the Vikings’ offensive coordinator from 2011-2013. Serving under head coach Leslie Frazier, Musgrave improved the Vikings offense each season as the coordinator, from 21.3 points per game in his first season to 24.4 in his final season before Frazier and Musgrave were replaced by Mike Zimmer and Norv Turner, respectively, in 2014.

Those three seasons saw Musgrave work with the likes of Christian Ponder, Donovan McNabb, Joe Webb, Matt Cassel, and Josh Freeman. Now, Musgrave will likely get to work with a fresh, young quarterback as the Browns look to hit the reset button and move on to their next era.

Seahawks facing competition for Grand Udinski from Buccaneers

Seahawks facing competition for Grand Udinski from Buccaneers

The Seattle Seahawks finally ended their search for an offensive coordinator over the weekend, appointing Klint Kubiak as the offensive play caller. Their search had taken several twists and turns. In one instance, potential candidate Hank Fraley decided to remain with the Detroit Lions alongside Dan Campbell.

Another candidate the Seahawks had strong interest in before hiring Kubiak was Minnesota Vikings offensive assistant Grant Udinski. Perhaps Mike Macdonald is no longer interested in adding Udinski to his staff after hiring Kubiak, but it’s worth noting that assumption isn’t guaranteed. Previous reports indicated the Seahawks were considering hiring pass-game and run-game coordinators. Furthermore, current passing game coordinator Karl Scott may be joining Pete Carroll’s staff with the Las Vegas Raiders, potentially creating an opening for Udinski to still join the team.

If the Seahawks are still interested in adding Udinski to their staff, they may face competition from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their now-former offensive coordinator Liam Coen recently became the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Since then, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles has requested to speak with Udinski about his newly-minted vacancy at OC.

It appears the Seahawks flat-out chose Kubiak over Udinski. If Macdonald is still interested in adding him to his staff in a roundabout way, he’s facing new competition from the Buccaneers. The Bucs would possess the upper hand, given they could offer Udinski their offensive coordinator role.

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Vikings assistant Grant Udinski completes another OC interview

Minnesota Vikings assistant Grant Udinski continues to be a hot candidate this offseason, getting another offensive coordinator interview.

It’s been a busy offseason for Minnesota Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski. The 29-year-old rising star interviewed with the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks for their offensive coordinator positions following the end of the Vikings’ season.  Now, a third team reached out to him for his services.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ X account announced they completed a virtual interview with Udinski on Saturday. This comes after their offensive coordinator positioned officially opened on Friday.

Udinski joined the Vikings’ staff in 2022 when Kevin O’Connell was hired.  His job title was “assistant to the head coach/special projects.” Udinski was promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach in 2023 and could be in line for another promotion if he doesn’t get the Bucs job.

Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator position could be a giant stepping stone for Udinski. Coen is the second Bucs offensive coordinator in two years to get a head coaching job following the season. Dave Canales, who served as OC in 2023, became the Carolina Panthers’ head coach in 2024.

Hank Fraley to remain in Detroit, out as potential Seahawks OC

Hank Fraley to remain in Detroit, out as potential Seahawks OC

The Seattle Seahawks are searching for their next offensive coordinator. While we do not know who that man will be, we now have an idea of who it won’t be. The Seahawks have given second interviews to three candidates, one of which was Detroit Lions offensive coach Hank Fraley.

Following Detroit’s shocking upset loss in the Divisional Round, Fraley received his second interview with Seattle. This time, it was in-person. However, it appears Fraley is opting to remain in the Motor City, not pursuing opportunities in the Pacific Northwest or perhaps with the Chicago Bears under his former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

How do we know Fraley will be remaining with the Lions? Well, if you ask me, his wife seems like a pretty reliable source on this topic! Danielle Fraley posted this on her Facebook account:

With Fraley out of the running for offensive coordinator, this leaves the Seahawks with two remaining candidates from those they gave second interviews to: New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Minnesota Vikings assistant offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski.

Seattle has also given interviews to former Chicago Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. So far, neither have been given second interviews.

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Why the Seahawks are interested in Grant Udinski to be OC

Why the Seahawks are interested in Grant Udinski to be OC

The Seattle Seahawks are now several weeks into the search for their next offensive coordinator. Head coach Mike Macdonald has identified three finalists, a list consisting of Minnesota Vikings assistant Grant Udinski, former Chicago Bears interim coach Thomas Brown, and Detroit Lions assistant Hank Fraley. Other rumors have the Seahawks potentially naming two coordinators who would focus on different areas of the offense.

The most surprising candidate on the list is arguably Udinski. A 29-year-old former college tight end, Udinski is an out-of-left-field candidate who makes sense. His work alongside offensive genius Kevin O’Connell and Sam Darnold this season has seen him rise up the ranks.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer recently released a column on the coaching carousel. Breer offered some terrific insight into Udinski. It’s no wonder the Seahawks possess interest in the potential coaching prophet.

“I’ve done some digging on Udinski over the past few days, and he’s a really interesting guy to look at,” Breer wrote. “He’s been in an intense football environment with Kevin O’Connell, Wes Phillips and Josh McCown on the offensive side of that staff, and has proven a quick study in just about every way. Since O’Connell poached him from Matt Rhule’s staff in 2022 (on the advice of Minnesota assistant Brian Angelichio), he’s risen from assistant to the head coach/special projects to assistant QBs coach to assistant offensive coordinator.

Breer brings up outstanding points about Udinski’s environment and elevation up the ranks. Wes Phillips and Josh McCown are two additional offensive minds Udinski has learned under. McCown has routinely gotten head coaching/OC interest around the league.

“He kept getting title changes, and raises, to keep him from leaving, and that’s because he’s really become O’Connell’s right-hand man,” Breer continued. “He’s got, by all accounts, an incredible mind for the game, and a bright, bright future as a play-caller and, maybe eventually, as a head coach.”

Breer also has questions about Udinski’s readiness to be an OC and lead Seattle’s offensive staff.

“But it’s fair to have questions about how fast this is all moving,” Breer added. “McVay had six years coaching—five in the NFL—before he became a coordinator, and he waited another year after that before becoming a play-caller. Udinski just finished his sixth-year coaching, and fifth in the NFL, so becoming a play-calling offensive coordinator would put him on a McVay-Shanahan track.”

The Seahawks have to assess all of the pros and cons before making a decision at offensive coordinator.

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