The Jacksonville Jaguars hit it out of the ballpark when they hired Liam Coen as their head coach. But the addition of Grant Udinski as the offensive coordinator also earned rave reviews across the league. Listening to him speak, it's easy to see why.
The Jags held an introductory press conference for Udinski, and he talked about how excited he's to take the job despite the fact that he won't hold offensive playcaller duty.
"This is a phenomenal opportunity to work with the guys here, the staff here, the organization here," Udinski responded when he was asked if there were any misgivings because he wasn't going to be the playcaller. "So once I found out about this opportunity, I probably don't have enough words to describe how fired up I was to be able to work with Liam and the rest of the staff.
Udinski continued, "I know that element, that part of it, the play calling, won't be a part of my role, but I'm looking forward to support and help the team win in any way I can."
Later in his exchange with the local media, Udisnki talked about how excited he is to work with Lawrence, pointing out that there will be a collaborative process in Jacksonville.
"I'm beyond fired up to work with Trevor. Like I said about Liam, I'm probably the same thing with Trevor. I don't have enough words to explain how excited I am for the opportunity to work with him. The relationship side of it is something that takes time, not just me getting to know him, but him getting to know me, this is a collaborative process. There are no dictatorships or anything like that in this business or on our team," Udinski said.
Just like we're collaborative as a staff, we're collaborative with our players. So ultimately, if the players come first, players over plays like Liam's probably told you guys a number of times. If that's true, then 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, effort, and resources to forming those relationships."
Udinski became the favorite for the job when Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase withdrew his name for consideration. Based on his comments, Lawrence will have significant input in the plays the team runs and the game plan while Coen and Udinski install the scheme and help players get a grasp of it.
Below are Udinski's full exchange with the local media. They start at the 25:58 mark.
Why new Jaguars OC Grant Udinski will help get the most out of Trevor Lawrence
Grant Udinski was an ascending star with the Minnesota Vikings. He began his coaching career at Baylor in 2019 and spent two seasons with the Carolina Panthers before bolting for Minneapolis in 2022.
During his stint with the Vikings, Udisinki built a strong rapport with quarterbacks Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy, often spending a considerable amount of time after practice with the latter. He will most likely do the same for Lawrence in Jacksonville.
Former head coach Doug Pederson delegated Lawrence's development to right-hand man Press Taylor, and he didn't seem to improve much. In fact, No. 16 regressed, and the offense as a whole became stagnant. Udinksi will be a much-needed breath of fresh air.
Now, there's a long way to go, and Grant Udinski will have his work cut out if he and Liam Coen want to turn the offense around. That said, his comments should give Jaguars fans a reason for optimism after an underwhelming 2024 season.