The Cleveland Browns’ coaching search has been a bit of a rollercoaster. Just when fans thought they might have locked down the next young offensive genius, the rug got pulled out from under them.
Grant Udinski, the 30-year-old wunderkind currently calling the shots for the Jacksonville Jaguars, has officially withdrawn his name from consideration for the Browns’ head coaching gig.
According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, Udinski isn’t just walking away empty-handed. He’s secured a nice little pay bump to stay in Jacksonville as their offensive coordinator. It’s a smart play: stick with Trevor Lawrence, keep building that resume, and maybe wait for the perfect moment to jump into the big chair.
But here’s the kicker. While he’s giving Cleveland the cold shoulder, he’s not entirely off the market. Reports say Udinski is still very much in the running for the Buffalo Bills job. So, it’s not that he doesn’t want a head coaching job; he apparently didn’t want this one. Will he end up in Buffalo?
Who Is Left Standing In Cleveland?
With Udinski out of the picture, the Browns are scrambling a bit. They’ve already had a few candidates politely decline, which is starting to feel like a trend nobody in the front office wants to acknowledge.
Right now, all eyes are turning toward Los Angeles. The Browns’ brass is reportedly hopping on a plane to L.A. to chat with Nate Scheelhaase, the Rams’ passing game coordinator. He’s young, he’s offensive-minded, and he’s coming from the Sean McVay coaching tree, which is basically the gold standard these days.
There’s also Jim Schwartz, the current defensive coordinator, who led a stout unit last year. He’s the safe pick, but after firing Kevin Stefanski, you get the feeling Cleveland is looking for a splash, not just a safe pair of hands.
The Weirdness Of the Process
We have to talk about how Cleveland is handling this search, because it’s… unique. Reports are flying around that candidates are being asked to write essays and do homework assignments. Yes, you read that right. Homework.
Imagine being a grown man, interviewing for a multimillion-dollar leadership position, and being told to turn in a five-page paper on “The Evolution of the Zone Run Scheme” by Friday. It’s a very data-driven, analytical approach, but you have to wonder if it’s scaring off some of the “football guys” who prefer X’s and O’s on a whiteboard to writing term papers.
What’s Next For Udinski?
For Udinski, this is a win-win. He either lands the Bills job—pairing up with Josh Allen, or he heads back to Jacksonville with a fatter wallet and another year to sharpen his skills under Liam Coen.
The guy is only 30. He was playing defensive end at Towson while Allen was already throwing touchdowns in the NFL. His rise has been meteoric, and frankly, he can afford to be picky.
For Cleveland, though? The clock is ticking. The Senior Bowl is coming up, the combine isn’t far off, and they need a captain for the ship. Hopefully, the next candidate is good at essay writing.
