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Jaguars Request GM Interview With 49ers’ Josh Williams

February 4th, 2025 at 9:03pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jaguars have ramped up their general manager search process, requesting an interview with 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Williams has spent the last 14 seasons with the 49ers, starting as a scouting assistant in 2011. He then spent three years as a pro personnel scout before moving to college scouting. Williams was an area scout from 2017 to 2021 and a national scout from 2022 to 2023. He was then promoted to his current title where he “directs pro and college scouting efforts, supports player development, and assists in contract negotiations,” according to his team bio.

It’s difficult to attribute an individual scout’s contributions to his team’s draft classes, but the 49ers unearthed several future stars on Day 3 during Williams’ tenure. That list includes George Kittle, Dre Greenlaw, and Brock Purdy, though the team’s recent history on Days 1 and 2 is less consistent.

Williams certainly played a major role in the 49ers’ last offseason, which featured several veteran signings on defense with mixed results. Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos combined for 12.5 sacks, but De’Vondre Campbell and Jordan Elliott struggled to make an impact.

It’s still too early for definitive conclusions on San Francisco’s 2024 draft class, but initial returns have been positive. Renardo Green, Dominick Puni, and Malik Mustapha all earned starting roles as rookies, while Ricky Pearsall and Isaac Guerendo both flashed in limited roles on offense.

Williams will join a growing list of candidates for the Jaguars’ general manager job. Below are the rest of the names connected with the vacancy:

Buccaneers’ Mike Greenberg Withdraws From Jaguars’ GM Pursuit

February 4th, 2025 at 5:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The first name to come up as a Jaguars GM candidate, Mike Greenberg is out of that mix. Tampa Bay will retain its assistant GM, as Greenberg has informed Jacksonville he is out of the running, the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud reports.

Greenberg has been with the Bucs for 15 years, becoming a crucial cog — particularly with regards to the club’s cap management — for a team that has lost two key staffers this offseason. In addition to Liam Coen‘s exit to become the Jaguars’ HC, fellow Bucs assistant GM John Spytek is now the Raiders’ GM. Despite a Jags interview request to potentially follow Coen north, Greenberg will help the Bucs ensure some staff continuity.

[RELATED: Where Does Jaguars’ GM Search Stand?]

It was interesting that Coen wanted to keep working with Greenberg, as the two only overlapped for one season in Tampa. Greenberg also was part of Coen’s messy exit. When Coen was secretly negotiating with the Jags, after having informed the Bucs he intended to stay and sign a lucrative coordinator extension, Greenberg was among the high-ranking staffers who attempted to contact him. Greenberg wanted to reach Coen regarding an offensive staffer, but his call went unreturned. Still, Coen subsequently wanted to see about working with the longtime Tampa Bay front office mainstay.

A report out of Jacksonville late last month indicated Coen was “pushing hard” to bring Greenberg with him. Greenberg’s decision to pass centers around his loyalty to the Bucs rather than any hard feelings toward Coen, Stroud adds, as the Tampa Bay AGM was honored to be considered. He will continue working with Jason Licht, as the Bucs attempt to construct a fifth straight NFC South champion.

Promoted to assistant GM in 2023, Greenberg interviewed for the Panthers and Jets’ GM jobs over the past two years. This Jags decision being categorized as Bucs loyalty is obviously worth noting, but Greenberg’s decision to take those interviews while passing on the Jags job certainly signals some trepidation with the position. The Jags fired their previous GM (Trent Baalke) midway through their coaching search, with the ouster appearing to be the key driver for Coen to move forward and accept their HC offer. The gig came with Coen being free to pick a GM and reside atop the team’s personnel pyramid, Tony Boselli‘s arrival as executive VP notwithstanding.

A Monday report indicated the next Jags GM will not answer to Boselli, but the Hall of Fame tackle will still have a key organizational voice. Boselli will report to ownership, joining Coen in that regard. Boselli’s new presence, along with Coen’s power, would stand to reduce this GM role’s responsibility. That may well have impacted Greenberg’s decision. The Bucs have also blocked Coen from poaching O-line coach Kevin Carberry and assistant OL coach Brian Picucci. Tuesday’s Greenberg news marks another successful Bucs retention effort.

Hired years before Licht’s arrival, Greenberg has been an integral part of the Bucs’ 2020s success. Ending a 12-year playoff drought, Greenberg helped the Bucs build their Super Bowl LV roster and was one of the key drivers in crafting a strategy that helped the team bring back every core player for the 2021 season. After Tom Brady‘s retirement left the franchise with a $35MM dead money bill, Licht, Greenberg and Spytek weathered the storm and still had the team in the divisional round. This past offseason, the Bucs found room to pay Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr. Licht will have Greenberg by his side for at least one more offseason.

Jaguars Request GM Interview With Rams’ James Gladstone

February 4th, 2025 at 12:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

The list of candidates for the Jaguars’ general manager position continues to grow. Several interview requests went out on Monday, but the team is not done on that front.

[RELATED: Jags Name Tony Boselli VP Of Football Operations]

Jacksonville hopes to speak with James Gladstone for the GM position, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. He has spent his entire career with the Rams, and he currently holds the position of scouting director. New head coach Liam Coen worked alongside Gladstone during his two stints (2018-20 and 2022) in Los Angeles.

The Rams have produced a strong track record in the draft over recent years, and as Gladstone has worked his way through the ranks he has become a key figure alongside general manager Les Snead. Los Angeles has managed to re-tool on defense in particular over the past two seasons in large part due to the team’s success in the draft. Expectations would be high for the Jaguars in that department if Gladstone were to be hired.

Despite his status as a rookie head coach, Coen is set to have a major role in deciding on Jacksonville’s new GM. The team was set to continue with Trent Baalke in that role until an abrupt change was made immediately before Coen was hired. That move came as little surprise given the extent to which Baalke’s presence turned other candidates off of the position, but it added to the unorthodox nature of the situation. In any case, it will be interesting to see how this Coen-driven process plays out over the near future.

Via PFR’s general manager tracker, here is an updated look at where things stand with Jacksonville:

Jaguars Name Tony Boselli VP Of Football Operations, Continue Staff Changes

February 3rd, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shad Khan said last month he hoped to beef up the Jaguars’ front office. Although the owner’s plan changed significantly thanks to the Trent Baalke firing during their HC search, the Jags are making a notable adjustment that will impact their next GM.

Tony Boselli was set to be part of the next Jags front office arrangement, and the team confirmed the move will come with an important title. The Jaguars announced Monday they are naming the Hall of Fame tackle their new executive VP of football operations. The team announcement indicates both Boselli and new HC Liam Coen will report to Khan, giving the new FO figure considerable power.

“Few people have better relationships throughout the NFL, know the game, and understand the value of strong team identity and culture as well as Tony Boselli,” Khan said. “Tony has a wealth of football acumen that we respect and need, and his counsel will be tremendously valuable to me and our football leadership team during this current rebirth and for many seasons to come.”

[RELATED: General Manager Search Tracker]

Boselli is obviously best known for his playing career. The No. 2 overall pick in 1995, Boselli moved from being the first draft choice in Jaguars history to the Hall of Fame. It took a belated bush, reminding of Terrell Davis‘ arc, for Boselli to land in Canton due to having his career cut short by shoulder injuries. Boselli, who earned three first-team All-Pro nods during a golden era for left tackles, also suffered an ACL tear late in the 1999 season.

Boselli, 52. has been with the franchise in the years since, most notably as a radio broadcaster, and has held multiple roles in the health industry. He will now be part of what still appears a Coen-led operation.

“My job is not to be out front; my job is to help Liam Coen, his staff and the new GM to have success,” Boselli said. “That’s all I want to do. That’s all I care about. It’s focused on Liam. I’m going to make sure Liam and that staff he has and the players he brings in have the ultimate success.”

Despite minimal experience compared to most coaches who have the chance to shape a GM search, Coen still looks set hold final-say power as the Jags form a triumvirate of sorts. This differs from how Khan constructed his front office during Tom Coughlin‘s time as executive VP, when he presided over GM Dave Caldwell and HC Doug Marrone. Coughlin’s second Jags stint ended with a dismissal, as player grievances mounted, two-plus years into his tenure.

In addition to Boselli, the Jags are making more moves to fill out Coen’s coaching staff. They are adding Matt Edwards and Anthony Perkins as D-line and DBs coaches, respectively, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. The Jags are also retaining Richard Anguolo as tight ends coach. The Lions inquired about the Doug Pederson holdover staffer, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, but the Jags stepped in and gave Angulo a multiyear extension.

Edwards comes over after a stint as Bills assistant D-line coach; he had spent two seasons with the Raiders and four with the Titans previously. A Packers staffer in 2024, Perkins will jump from the quality control level to take on his first role as an NFL position coach. He was previously coaching Oregon State cornerbacks before joining Matt LaFleur‘s staff. Angulo has been Jacksonville’s TEs coach since 2022; he previously spent eight seasons in Baltimore, coaching that position and working as an assistant O-line coach.

Coen has run into trouble staffing his O-line coach role, seeing the Buccaneers — not fans of the way he left town — block interviews with their O-line coach (Kevin Carberry) and assistant OL coach (Brian Picucci). Despite Picucci following Coen from Kentucky last year, he is staying in Tampa. As such, the Jags are interviewing Zak Kromer for the job, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Kromer has been with the Rams throughout Sean McVay‘s tenure, overlapping with both Coen L.A. stints. The son of Bills O-line coach Aaron Kromer, Zak is currently the Rams’ assistant O-line coach.

Jaguars Request GM Interviews With Four Executives

February 3rd, 2025 at 8:52pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jaguars aren’t wasting any time finding a new general manager. Shortly after news broke of their interview request with Buccaneers assistant general manager Mike Greenberg, we learned that the team requested interviews with four other executives. That grouping includes Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander (via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler), Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown (via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones), Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown (via Fowler), and Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham (via TheMMQB’s Albert Breer).

[RELATED: Jaguars Request GM Interview With Buccaneers Exec Mike Greenberg]

Alexander was a long-time Ravens staffer, with the executive spending two decades with the organization. He worked his way up to assistant director of pro personnel, a gig he held for his final nine years in Baltimore. When all was said and done, he ended up earning a pair of Super Bowl rings during his stint with the organization. He’s most recently bounced around the league, including jobs working under Joe Douglas with the Jets and Joe Hortiz with the Chargers. Alexander was a finalist for the Raiders GM opening earlier this offseason.

Brandon Brown was also a finalist for that job in Las Vegas, and he interview for jobs with the Chargers and Panthers last offseason. The executive made a name for himself in Philadelphia, where he worked his way up from assistant director of pro scouting to director of player personnel. He took his talents to New York in 2022, where he’s spent the past three seasons working as the assistant general manager under Joe Schoen.

Trey Brown cut his teeth in the scouting ranks, spending time in the Patriots and Eagles front offices. After a three-year term as Philly’s director of college scouting, Brown spent a few years leading his own front office with the Birmingham Iron (AAF) and St. Louis BattleHawks (XFL). When those leagues folded, the executive took a scouting job with the Bengals, and he was promoted to a senior personnel executive role in 2022.

Cunningham started his front office career with the Ravens before joining the Eagles as their director of college scouting in 2017. He climbed the ranks to director of player personnel before taking an assistant GM job with the Bears in 2022. He’s spent the past three seasons in Chicago, although he’s flirted with promotions over the past two years. He was a finalist for the Commanders job last year, and he’s also been connected to jobs with the Chargers and Titans.

Cunningham was one of the initial names to be connected to the Jaguars job, along with former Titans GM Jon Robinson and Greenberg. While Liam Coen has a major say in who will run Jacksonville’s front office, Jones notes that the new GM will be considered the “primary football executive.” This means the eventual front office leader won’t answer to VP of Football Operations Tony Boselli, who the team officially hired earlier today.

Jaguars Request GM Interview With Buccaneers Exec Mike Greenberg

February 3rd, 2025 at 6:11pm CST by Ben Levine

New Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is driving the organization’s search for a new general manager. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Coen is eyeing a familiar face to help guide his front office. According to FOX Sports’ Peter Schrager, the Jaguars have requested an interview with Buccaneers assistant general manager Mike Greenberg.

[RELATED: Liam Coen ‘Pushing Hard’ For Mike Greenberg To Become Jaguars GM?]

Greenberg has spent more than a decade in Tampa Bay’s front office. He’s gradually worked his way up the ranks with the Buccaneers, culminating in him earning the role of assistant GM ahead of the 2023 campaign. Per the Buccaneers website, the executive has been credited with managing the team’s salary cap, contract negotiations, and compliance with the CBA. He was lauded for his work last offseason, when he helped navigate the organization’s difficult cap situation to re-sign notable players like Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Antoine Winfield, and Lavonte David.

Interestingly, Greenberg was believed to be one of Tampa Bay’s decision makers who attempted to reach Coen during the play-caller’s off-grid departure from the organization. While there was some natural resentment following the fiasco, it may not be enough to dissuade the executive from considering a promotion in Jacksonville. The last we heard, Coen was reportedly “pushing hard” to bring Greenberg to the Jaguars.

The Bucs have so far rejected Coen’s request to lure contracted assistants to Jacksonville. While many of Coen’s initial inquiries were focused on lateral moves, Greenberg’s GM interview would represent a promotion. This means the Buccaneers wouldn’t be able to stop the executive from joining his former coach in a new spot.

The presence of former Jaguars GM Trent Baalke reportedly dissuaded some candidates from considering the HC gig, and the organization swiftly moved on from the executive when they realized the move would net them Coen. Greenberg is the first candidate to be definitively connected to the Jaguars, although Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham and former Titans GM Jon Robinson have also been mentioned as potential options for the organization.

For the Buccaneers, Greenberg would represent another high-profile loss for the organization. In addition to Coen, the team has also lost one of their other assistant GMs in John Spytek, who agreed to join the Raiders as their new general manager. Of course, a Greenberg loss wouldn’t be completely unexpected, as the executive met with the Jets about their vacancy earlier this offseason.

Nate Scheelhaase Favorite For Jaguars’ OC Job; Jon Robinson, Ian Cunningham Top GM Candidates?

February 2nd, 2025 at 9:59pm CST by Rory Parks

The Jaguars are still in need of both an offensive coordinator and a general manager, and the favorites for those positions could be coming into focus. Multiple sources tell Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 that Rams pass game specialist Nate Scheelhaase – who interviewed for the OC post last week – is now the leading candidate for the the job, while Albert Breer of SI.com hears former Titans GM Jon Robinson and current Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham are being consistently connected to Jacksonville’s GM gig.

The Jags recently hired former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen as their head coach, and Coen confirmed he will call the club’s offensive plays. That could stand to limit his pool of OC candidates, though several of his recent interviewees (including Scheelhaase) also drew interest elsewhere.

Scheelhaase, 34, began his coaching career at Illinois, his alma mater, in 2015. He joined Iowa State in 2018 as the school’s running backs coach and eventually moved his way up to offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2023. Rams head coach Sean McVay plucked him out of the collegiate ranks last year, and Los Angeles finished in the top-10 in terms of passing yards per game in 2024. Working under McVay has boosted the stock of many coaches during his tenure with the Rams, and Scheelhaase is apparently no exception.

Although he would not have the opportunity to call plays, the Jaguars’ OC position would give Scheelhaase the chance to further build his resume by helping franchise passer Trevor Lawrence take the long-awaited next step in his development. Plus, the team is not devoid of skill-position talent, with Lawrence and promising young players like WR Brian Thomas Jr.  and RB Tank Bigsby under club control for multiple seasons.

The unusual route that led to Coen’s hiring also gave him leverage that a first-time HC rarely enjoys and afforded him the opportunity to select the Jags’ next GM. The only candidate who had been connected to the job prior to now is Tampa Bay’s assistant general manager, Mike Greenberg. Recent reports noted Coen was “pushing hard” to poach Greenberg from the Bucs, but as of the time of this writing, no interview has been scheduled (and those earlier reports suggested Greenberg may not want the job anyway).

Robinson and Cunningham, however, are certainly qualified candidates. Robinson took over the Titans’ front office in 2016, and during his five-plus years at the helm – he was surprisingly ousted in the middle of the 2022 campaign despite having earned a lengthy extension just a few months prior – Tennessee advanced to the playoffs four times. Those postseason berths came in spite of the fact that the team’s rosters were not generally viewed as elite, so while some may say coaching was largely responsible for the Titans’ success, Robinson can point to his scouting and roster construction abilities as a testament to his worthiness as a GM.

This year’s cycle is the first time Robinson’s name has substantively appeared in PFR pages since his Tennessee firing, but he did interview for the Jets’ GM post back in December. According to Breer, the 48-year-old’s experience and his time in the AFC South could be key selling points for the Jags.

Cunningham, coincidentally, was one of the candidates the Titans interviewed to replace Robinson several years ago, and he took two interviews with Tennessee this year as the club found itself with yet another GM vacancy. The current Bears exec is no stranger to the GM carousel and is seen as a rising star in the personnel world, thanks in large part to his own scouting acumen. He reportedly turned down the Cardinals’ general manager position in 2023, and after losing out to Adam Peters for the Commanders’ GM job last year, Chicago awarded him an extension. 

Still only 39, Cunningham may again opt to remain in his current position since he did not have the opportunity to hire the Jags’ head coach and since Coen has unique power for a first-time skipper. But if he believes in Jacksonville’s core talent, he could finally find himself atop a team’s front office.

NFC Coaching Notes: Cowboys, Saints, Bucs, Hall, Panthers, 49ers, Cards, Bears

February 2nd, 2025 at 9:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys are looking to the college level to fill their running backs coaching position; both candidates have histories in Dallas. The team turned to one of its former running backs — Tashard Choice — as a recent interviewee, All DLLS’ Clarence Hill notes. Choice is the Texas Longhorns’ RBs coach, having held that job for the past three seasons. A Cowboys running back from 2008-11, Choice wrapped his playing career after the 2013 season. He spent the 2016 campaign as a Cowboys intern. The team is also interviewing Oregon RBs coach Ra’Shaad Samples for the job, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris. Staples is a Dallas native who coached in the area while at SMU from 2019-21; his interview went well, per Hill. The one-year Ducks assistant is best known in NFL circles for being the Rams’ RBs coach in 2022; he left for an Arizona State assistant job before that season ended.

Here is the latest from the NFC side of the coaching carousel:

  • The Buccaneers are backing up the report they were ready to block Liam Coen from poaching assistants. After blocking O-line coach Kevin Carberry from meeting with the Jaguars, the Bucs are preventing assistant O-line coach Brian Picucci from doing the same, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. This one is a bit more interesting, as Picucci followed Coen from Kentucky to Tampa Bay. NFL rules allow teams to block contracted assistants from moves if they do not involve a promotion to head coach or coordinator. Coen left the Bucs after avoiding contact with high-ranking staffers, and GM Jason Licht is not believed to be too happy with the exit.
  • Another Bucs staffer who will remain in place: Larry Foote. The linebackers coach interviewed for the Lions’ DC job, being the team’s only outside candidate before a Kelvin Sheppard promotion, but will not leave for a job anywhere else. Foote told the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud he is staying. The former linebacker has enjoyed a long assistant tenure with the Bucs; this will be his seventh season with the team.
  • DeAngelo Hall‘s stint on the Panthers‘ staff is over, per the Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye. The team had hired the former Pro Bowl cornerback as assistant DBs coach during Frank Reich‘s months-long HC stint. Hall, however, could land on his feet soon. The 49ers are interviewing him for their DBs coach position, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds. Hall and Kyle Shanahan overlapped for four seasons in Washington during the early 2010s.
  • Moving back to the Cowboys, their Klayton Adams OC hire did not surprise the Cardinals. But the NFC West team was monitoring a potential relocation to New Orleans as well. The Cards expected their previous O-line coach to join Brian Schottenheimer or follow Kellen Moore to the Saints, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Moore has not taken the New Orleans job yet, but he is the favorite. Both Moore and Adams are Boise State alums, though their Idaho stays did not overlap.
  • Elsewhere on Arizona’s staff, the team has identified new line coaches. Justin Frye is coming aboard as O-line coach, and Winston DeLattiboudere is heading to the desert as D-line coach, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and 247 Sports’ Matt Zenitz and Ryan Burns report. DeLattiboudere comes over from the University of Minnesota and is rising fast; we have a Gen Z coach here, as the two-year Golden Gophers D-line coach is 27. He spent the 2022 season with the Packers as a Bill Walsh diversity coaching fellow. Frye has considerably more experience and is coming off three seasons as Ohio State’s O-line coach. The Bears interviewed Frye for their O-line job. The ex-Chip Kelly assistant is also not following his two-time boss (also at UCLA) to Las Vegas, being set to camp elsewhere in the desert.
  • The Bears are still working on filling out Ben Johnson‘s staff. They interviewed Florida assistant Gerald Chatman for the D-line coach position, Zenitz adds. A Bengals defensive assistant from 2019-20, Chatman spent the 2024 season at Florida.

Jaguars Meet With Ron Rivera, Hire Tem Lukabu As LBs Coach

February 2nd, 2025 at 2:37pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Former Commanders and Panthers head coach Ron Rivera met with the Jaguars over the weekend regarding a role on Liam Coen‘s new coaching staff, per Sports Illustrated’s John Shipley.

Rivera has been eyeing a return to the NFL this offseason. He was fired as the Commanders’ head coach after the 2023 season and spent the last year away from football. Over the last two months, he has interviewed with the Bears, the Jets, and the Raiders regarding their head-coaching vacancies, though he was not considered a finalist for any of the three jobs.

The Jaguars also hired former Panthers outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Lukabu will be the linebackers coach in Jacksonville under new defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, who was hired on Friday.

Campanile’s hire was a crucial decision given Coen’s history as an offensive coach. Campanile has been in the NFL for just five years with no play-calling experience, though he was co-defensive coordinator at Boston College in 2018.

Bringing in a longtime defensive coach like Rivera could help Campanile transition into his new role. Both spent time as linebackers coaches before earning their first jobs as defensive coordinators at 42 years of age.

Rivera’s 13 years as a head coach could also provide Coen, a first-time head coach, with more guidance on leading an entire football team. The 63-year-old Rivera’s 28 seasons of coaching experience would balance out the relative youth of Coen’s initial staff in Jacksonville.

Jaguars Meet With Grant Udinski; Team Requests OL Interview With Austin Gund

January 31st, 2025 at 9:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Three more of the league’s offensive coordinator vacancies were filled on Friday. The Jaguars are among the teams who have yet to fill their OC position, though, and their search process is ongoing. So far, their search has been less than exhaustive, with the team only interviewing two candidates, Commanders quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard and Rams pass game specialist Nate Scheelhaase, to replace Press Taylor.

A third interview took place today, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, as the Jaguars hosted Vikings assistant offensive coordinator and assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski. At only 29 years old, Udinski has been on a meteoric rise through the coaching ranks.

After going undrafted in 2019 as a defensive end out of Towson, Udinski traveled to Waco, TX, where he served for a year as a graduate assistant under then-Baylor head coach Matt Rhule. The next year, Udinski followed Rhule to Carolina as a coaching assistant for the Panthers, where he remained for two years.

Under the advice of Vikings passing game coordinator and tight ends coach Brian Angelichio, who had worked with Udinski for two years in Carolina, Minnesota hired Udinski on as assistant to the head coach/special projects in 2022. After a year in that role, Udinski was promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach, and this season, he added assistant offensive coordinator to his title, as well.

It’s not uncommon to see young coaches quickly rise through the ranks on offensive coaching staffs, but those phenoms are usually former quarterbacks with a high understanding of offensive schemes and philosophies. It’s strange to see so much offensive responsibility handed to a man who only seven years ago was playing defense at Towson as a walk-on. It probably doesn’t hurt that he was a CoSIDA academic first-team all-American with high marks at both the undergraduate and master’s levels of his education.

The Jaguars are not alone in their interest in Udinski, either. Today’s interview was Udinski’s fifth for an offensive coordinator role this offseason. A popular name, Udinski first interviewed twice with the Seahawks (a job that went to Klint Kubiak), then interviewed with the Patriots (a job that went to Josh McDaniels) before interviewing with the Buccaneers (a job that went to Josh Grizzard) and the Texans. While there’s a chance that the Houston and Jacksonville jobs may, too, fall out of his reach, it seems clear that Udinski’s trajectory is not slowing. The young coach is likely to find a home as a coordinator soon.

Despite having not hired an offensive coordinator yet, the Jaguars are reportedly actively looking to fill one of their position coaching jobs on the offensive side of the ball. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Jacksonville requested permission to interview Bills offensive/offensive line assistant Austin Gund for what he called “their open offensive line coaching position,” which seems to indicate that incumbent offensive line coach Phil Rauscher will not be returning to the role. Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports adds that the team has requested to interview 49ers assistant offensive line coach Cameron Clemmons for the job, as well.

Here’s a breakdown of the Jaguars’ search to fill the offensive coordinator position:

  • Chip Kelly, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (Ohio State): Team has interest
  • Tavita Pritchard, quarterbacks coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/29
  • Nate Scheelhaase, pass game specialist (Rams): Interviewed 1/29
  • Grant Udinski, assistant quarterbacks coach (Vikings): Interviewed 1/31

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

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