While the Jacksonville Jaguars prepare to take on the Buffalo Bills in Round 1 of the playoffs, the coaching carousel is beginning to spin. But in the upcoming days, the Jags could start to see coordinators Grant Udinski and Anthony Campanile get interest from teams with a vacancy.
Not long after the regular season ended, the Miami Dolphins ousted head coach Mike McDaniel. They have yet to begin to look for his replacement but have already hired Jon-Eric Sullivan as their general manager. He will conduct the Phins' search for a head coach, and his link to Campanile could shape the whole thing up.
Jaguars DC Anthony Campanile's connection with Jon-Eric Sullivan makes him a candidate for the Dolphins
Cameron Wolfe of NFL Media talked about the Jon-Eric Sullivan hire and Anthony Campanile as a potential candidate for the Dolphins job, pointing out that the two know each other from their time with the Green Bay Packers.
"Next, Jon-Eric Sullivan knows the Green Bay culture like the back of his hand. Been there as an intern since 2003," Wolfe said. "Anthony Campanelli, the Jaguars defensive coordinator, worked with him in Green Bay. He texted me. Jon-Eric Sullivan, unreal guy, super detailed. Everyone in the building loves them, works hard as hell, knows all the guys in the draft, and has a crazy work ethic. And his dad, Jerry Sullivan, was born in Miami, and his dad was a wide receiver coach for the Dolphins in 2004."
The connection is clearly there. Campanile was the Packers linebackers coach and run defense coordinator one year before he became the defensive coordinator in Jacksonville.
Before the hiring cycle began, Campanile was dubbed a potential head-coaching candidate, and Miami is the first opening he's been linked to. In 2025, he took the Jaguars defense from one of the worst in the league to the No. 8 in points allowed and 11th in total yards. Moreover, Jacksonville surrendered the fewest rushing yards in the league and didn't allow a single running back to run for 75 yards or more in the season.
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The Jaguars may lose Anthony Campanile in this hiring cycle
Although there already were eight head-coaching openings across the NFL, neither Anthony Campanile nor Grant Udinski had any interviews lined up. That apparently was the case because there was an understanding with teams not to request candidates on playoff teams until after the wild card round was played.
It's important to point out that Miami hasn't officially requested an interview with Anthony Campanile, though. Instead, Cameron Wolfe brought up the opening as a potential landing spot for him because of his connection to Jon-Eric Sullivan. But after the Jaguars played the Bills, nobody would bat an eye if the Dolphins target Campanile. Having said that, Matt LaFleur may be a more realistic candidate for the job.
Like Campanile, LaFleur is well-acquainted with Sullivan, and his offensive acumen could make it an appealing option for not just the Dolphins but other vacancies.
Ultimately, teams will take time to do due diligence, and there doesn't appear to be a clear-cut favorite for any opening. However, Anthony Campanile should most definitely get a few looks because of his work with the Jaguars defense.