Interesting Detail Emerges About Grant Udinski’s Meeting With Browns

The Cleveland Browns are staying busy working through a long list of potential head coaching candidates as they seek out Kevin Stefanski’s successor. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken are reportedly the first two candidates to receive second interviews, but there are still a handful of other candidates who are firmly in the mix.

One of those other candidates is Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, who is one of the hottest names on the market after Jacksonville’s stellar season. At 30 years old, teams around the league are intrigued by Udinski’s offensive acumen, and it’s easy to see why the Browns are intrigued by the possibility of landing him.

Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union recently took to X to share what he has heard about Udinski’s interview. He shared that his league source revealed to him that the virtual interview lasted a full three hours.

“Per league source, #Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski’s virtual interview with Cleveland Browns for head-coaching post today lasted the allotted three hours.”

Per league source, #Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski's virtual interview with Cleveland Browns for head-coaching post today lasted the allotted three hours.

— Ryan O'Halloran (@ryanohalloran) January 17, 2026

Udinski worked his way up the coaching ranks with the Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings over the past few years before landing his current role ahead of the 2025 season. In one year as Jacksonville’s OC, he helped spearhead a turnaround from 4-13 to 13-4 and an AFC South crown, while helping quarterback Trevor Lawrence put up the best year of his career.

It’s easy to understand why the Browns would be interested in a young, innovative, offensive-minded coach after consistently struggling to score even 17 points a game over the past two years. With so many intriguing candidates around the league, it’s possible that it’s not the time yet for the 30-year-old Udinski, but he will land a head coaching gig at some point.

Teams don’t have three-hour interviews for no reason, and it’s clear he made some sort of an impression based on this information alone. We’ll see if he lands a second interview soon now that he has a little more time on his hands with the Jags out of the playoffs.