On Tuesday, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that the Patriots have conducted an interview with Vikings assistant offensive coordinator/assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski for their vacant offensive coordinator position.
With the season Minnesota just had on offense, revitalizing the career of former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold en route to 14 wins in 2024, it makes sense that assistants from Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s staff would be getting looks for various positions around the league.
But what’s notable about Udinski is his age and lack of experience, as the former FCS tight end/defensive end is only 28 years old.
Udinski joined the Vikings staff ahead of the 2022 season, being hired as O’Connell’s assistant to the head coach (also held the ambiguous title of “special projects”). His new boss was impressed early on, publicly calling his understanding of the game “unbelievable,” and promoting him in his second season to assistant quarterbacks coach. After more success in his new role, he received even more responsibility heading into year three, adding the title of assistant offensive coordinator to his resume for the 2024 season.
Before heading to Minnesota, Udinski only had three seasons of coaching experience under his belt - first as a graduate assistant at Baylor in 2019, and then as a coaching assistant with the Panthers in 2020 and 2021. When Brian Angelichio went from being the tight ends coach in Carolina to the passing game coordinator in Minnesota ahead of the 2022 season, he recommended to O’Connell that they hire Udiniski to the staff.
It sounds like Angelichio nailed the recommendation, and the rest of the league seems to agree, as Udinski has now reportedly interviewed for offensive coordinator jobs with both the Patriots and the Seahawks.
Breer noted on X.com that Udinski is a finalist for Seattle’s opening on their staff. What the pecking order is for OC candidates in New England remains a bit more unclear at the moment.
If online chatter means anything to anyone, it would appear that former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is the leader in the clubhouse for the role. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed on WEEI that McDaniels is on the long list, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter told WEEI that a McDaniels hire would be “completely logical.” But many well-connected reporters around the team have made a point to say McDaniels is not a shoo-in.
We also have reporting from Friday that says the Patriots have conducted OC interviews with Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown as well as Chargers passing game coordinator Marcus Brady.
Here are some of the names of other OC candidates ESPN’s Mike Reiss listed in his Sunday notes column:
- Chip Kelly, Ohio State offensive coordinator
- Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator (said to be a longshot by Reiss)
- Mike LaFleur, Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator
- Dave Ragone, Rams quarterbacks coach
- Tim Kelly, New York Giants tight ends coach
- Tony Dews, New York Jets running backs coach
Stay locked in to WEEI and WEEI.com for all the latest on the Patriots’ coaching staff in the coming weeks.