Coaching searches in the NFL are not an easy thing to do. It’s like finding a quarterback, but it’s much harder to do, to some extent. The Browns were stable at the head coaching position for the past
six years with head coach Kevin Stefanski, something the team hasn’t had since they returned. Now, the team is on the search for its new head coach. The team has requested multiple interviews with multiple candidates. Offensive backgrounds and defensive backgrounds.
Saturday, the Browns interviewed Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski.
During general manager Andrew Berry’s press conference, Berry talked about how finding a coach is about finding the right fit for this team. Fit matters when it comes to anything, and finding the head coach that fits with the vision of the general manager is important. Cleveland’s offense needs to be overhauled, and that is even clearer as the team has interviewed multiple offensive coordinators.
Two of the candidates that seem to make a lot of sense on the offensive side of the ball are former Miami Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel and current Jacksonville Jaguars OC Grant Udinski. While rumors of DC Jim Schwartz being a frontrunner make some sense, it is very possible the finalists for the job are going to be Udinski and McDaniel.
Either candidate would help the Browns in terms of building their offense and their approach.
McDaniel’s offenses in Miami were creative and innovative. He was able to get the most out of Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa and Miami’s offense was a top 5 to 10 unit in the NFL. Heavy usage of motion, zone-blocking scheme in the run game, and play action did wonders for multiple offensive players in Miami. McDaniel’s personality comes off as a bit quirky with authenticity behind it, which is something that is polarizing for fans.
The downside to McDaniel is that he often times won’t have complete control in the locker room. This season, Miami has had its fair share of embarrassing losses. The most noticeable one was against the team he’s interviewing, the Cleveland Browns. In that game, the Dolphins came out flat while the Browns came out prepared and ready to play. The Cleveland game is the noticeable one, but there are others where the Dolphins came out flat and uninterested. It falls on coaching.
The one candidate that is getting a lot of buzz is Udinski. The young offensive mind, who just recently turned 30, has a lot of buzz, but as it stands right now, the Browns are the only team that has requested to interview him.
Udinski was at one point sleeping in his car and working as an Uber driver before getting his opportunity to coach at Baylor as a grad assistant. Now, he’s the offensive coordinator for the Jaguars and could potentially be a head coach in a year or two. Udinski has been getting comparisons to current Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, which is a big deal.
While he’s seen as an up-and-comer and has the offensive coordinator title, he’s never called plays before. However, it seems as if that’s not an issue if the Browns are interviewing him for their head coaching position.
Either McDaniel or Udinski could end up as the head coach for Cleveland, but if the Browns were to make a decision today, Udinski seems like the pick. Keep in mind, the Browns interviewed Kevin Stefanski twice before ending up with the job in 2020. Berry was the youngest general manager at the time the Browns hired him and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Browns chose to hire one of the youngest head coaching candidates. Hiring Udinski and keeping the defensive staff intact seems like the most realistic outcome in Cleveland.
