List of ascending NFL coaches and execs highlights Jaguars massive youth movement

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't originally want to clean house after the 2024 season, but Trent Baalke forced their hand when he was scaring away candidates for their head coach vacancy. Once they fired him, they managed to land Liam Coen. Now, the Jags are looking for a general manager and will wrap up the process in the upcoming days. The truth is that the organization got a massive makeover, and a recent list by The Athletic highlights just how young and dynamic it is.

Jourdan Rodrigue and Mike Jones discussed the top 50 coaches and executives under 40 ahead of the 2025 season. Two Jaguars coaches popped up: Coen and right-hand man Grant Udinski, the second-youngest offensive coordinator in the league at 29. Declan Doyle of the Chicago Bears is the youngest at 28.

But wait, Los Angeles Rams director of scouting strategy James Gladstone, Chicago Bears assistant coordinator Ian Cunningham and San Francisco 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams also made the cut.

None of them currently work for the Jaguars, but all three made the final round of their general manager search. Unless Ethan Waugh comes out on top, one of them will get the job, so Jacksonville will have two of their coaches and their general manager appear in The Athletic's top 50.

Here's part of the excerpt about Coen:

"Coen has made a rapid rise through the coaching ranks, landing Jacksonville's head job despite having only five years of NFL experience and just one as his team's primary play caller."

And here's some of what The Athletic had to say about Udinksi, who's as young as many of the players he'll be coaching.

"A direct nomination from Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, Udinski was among the coaches who worked closely with quarterback Sam Darnold during his season of rejuvenated play. Udinski also took on a lead role with rookie J.J. McCarthy to onboard him into the offense despite his season-ending knee injury and surgery."

Liam Coen and Grant Udinski give the Jaguars a dynami nucleous for the future

The Jacskonville Jaguars would've probably wanted their search for a head coach to go a lot smoother. Then again, it's hard to disagree with the Liam Coen hire. After all, he's had success everywhere he's gone and put together a staff with the right amount of experience and youth.

Finding an offensive coordinator wasn't nearly as chaotic, but hiring Grant Udinski raised eyebrows because of his age. It shouldn't, as he left the Minnesota Vikings with glowing reviews, and you will be hard-pressed to find a coach or quarterback who won't stop raving about the 29-year-old.

With Udinski leading the offense, Coen should infuse the Jags with a fresh vision, one that helps them bounce back from a pair of disappointing seasons. To balance things up, defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and special teams coach Heath Farwell will provide experience.

Of course, Udinski will need to work in unison with whoever becomes the next general manager, but there's no doubt that the current Jaguars team is stacked with upside. Sure, it will eventually need to turn into wins, but think about it, when was the last time experience gave Jacksonville an edge?

Tom Coughlin is the best coach in franchise history but the game had passed by him when he became the vice president of football operations. Doug Pederson had won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles, but couldn't deliver in Duval.

This is to say that the Jacksonville Jaguars are making the right call to bet on young talent. It may or not pay off, but they most definitely deserve praise for trying something different.

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