JACKSONVILLE – Grant Udinski is excited, and the reasons are many.
The fit with the head coach. The fit with the quarterback. The fit with scheme and approach. And so on. And so on.
"This is a phenomenal opportunity," Udinski said.
Udinski, hired by Head Coach Liam Coen last week as the Jaguars' offensive coordinator, met with the media for the first time in his new position Thursday – speaking at an availability along with new defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and special teams coordinator Heath Farwell.
Udinski, in his first coordinator position, discussed multiple Jaguars-related issues – including why working with Coen just felt right.
"What he's done with quarterbacks, what he's done with offense, what he's done with run game, what he's done with pass game," said Udinski, who spent the past three seasons as an assistant with the Minnesota Vikings.
Udinski and Coen have similar backgrounds, with Coen serving as an assistant under Los Angeles Rams Head Coach Sean McVay in 2018-2020 and 2022. Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell, for whom Udinski worked the past three seasons, served as the Rams' offensive coordinator from 2021-2022.
Udinski was the Vikings' assistant offensive coordinator this past season, with Udinksi saying he and Coen see offense "similarly, philosophically and schematically."
"There's a wide array of things I can learn from him and hopefully that I can bring to him and add to this team to our offense," Udinski said. "We see things very similar in terms of how we want to do things and how we want to attack things philosophically. We talk about being fundamentally sound, talk about attacking on offense, situational masters and most importantly, being tough.
"Having that shared identity and that kind of shared vision, that alignment from the top all the way down throughout our staff is a big deal to me. I know it's a big deal to us collectively."
Udinski added of Coen, "There has to be some level of the person, the human being, the guy that he is that comes into play that makes me ultimately so excited to be here and work with him. He's the guy who I'm going to be working with every day and he's the guy who's going to have to deal with me every single day. So, if that's not good, then that's not a recipe for a good product."
Udinski on Thursday, too, spoke positively of the Jaguars' offensive roster, mentioning wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. – "it's hard to stay seated watching his tape" – and discussing extensively fifth-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
"I don't have enough words to explain how excited I am for the opportunity to work with him," he said.
Udinski, who also interviewed this offseason for coordinator positions with the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans, is respected around the NFL with a reputation for helping develop quarterbacks – and he worked closely last offseason with Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
"The relationship side of it is something that takes time, not just me getting to know him, but him getting to know me," Udinski said of Lawrence. "This is a collaborative process. There are no dictatorships or anything like that in this business or on our team, just like we're collaborative as a staff or collaborative with our players.
"We have to be willing to go above and beyond and do whatever it takes to put them in the best position for success, and part of that is committing the time and effort and resources to forming those relationships."
Lawrence in four NFL seasons has thrown 69 touchdowns with 46 interceptions. He missed seven games last season and finished the season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, throwing 11 touchdowns with seven interceptions.
"There's a lot that stands out," Udinski said of Lawrence. "The most exciting thing for me is the guy and the person. The quarterback position is still played by a person. It's still a human being who has to stand back there and navigate tight pockets and hits and escape and deal with ten other guys in the huddle, all eleven on defense, and make those decisions in snap judgment.
"The person we're getting to deal with and work with on a day-to-day basis is super exciting. If we're spending as much time as we do trying to pour ourselves into somebody, he's the type of guy that you want to invest time in."
And while Coen will handle play-calling responsibilities, Udinksi said he has "no misgivings" about the role.
"Once I found out about this opportunity, I don't have enough words about how fired up I was to be able to work with Liam and the rest of this staff," Udinski said. "Play-calling won't be a part of my role. I'm looking forward to supporting and helping the team win any way I can."
QUOTABLE
- Udinski: "We have an energetic staff. You feel the energy, the excitement, the passion for football, for coaching and the work that goes into making this thing ultimately what we want it to be. That carries over into our interactions so far. That will show up in our relationships with the players and the relationships with everyone else in the building. The energy there is palpable."
