Mike Vrabel has been working hard over the last week to assemble his coaching staff, and many are wondering who the team would choose for the position of offensive coordinator.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Patriots have interviewed Grant Udinski, Minnesota Vikings offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach, for the position.
The 28-year-old reportedly interviewed with the squad on Monday, and he’s an intriguing prospect. Udinski has been on an upward track throughout his career, having already risen up the ranks during his brief tenure in the league.
He’s been an invaluable help to Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, who hired him as an assistant before moving him to head coach/special projects in 2022. But Udinski clearly excelled his role, and O’Connell took note, with the young coach’s title being changed to “assistant offensive coordinator” before of the 2024 season.
He’s already faced his fair share of adversity. He helped the Vikings get through Kirk Cousin’s final season in Minnesota, despite the quarterback’s season-ending injury in Week 8. That led to Udinski having to coach up the guys behind Cousins, which included Nick Mullins, Joshua Dobbs, and rookie Jaren Hall that year.
Now it appears he’s ready to move on, with the Seattle Seahawks among the teams reportedly interested. Udinski is apparently a finalist for that position, which may make it difficult for the Patriots to entice him here. According to Alec Lewis of the Athletic, Udinski has already had two interviews for the position with the Seahawks this offseason, with one NFC official telling Lewis, “People rave about this guy.” Brett Rypien, Vikings quarterback, told Lewis about Udinski: “Grant is a genius. “He is a genius.”
The youthful coach played an important role in the development of the Vikings’ young quarterbacks. Minnesota rookie J.J. McCarthy stated in a fantastic piece by Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune back in November that one of the things that has made Udinski such a brilliant coach is his ability to make difficult things simple in the classroom.
“I feel like that’s where true intelligence, true wisdom lies: making complex concepts simple,” McCarthy responded. “You’d never guess he was one of the smartest people in the room. That’s something I really admire about him.
Another thing that has jumped out is how difficult it is to obtain anything from him. Quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, who was a quarterback in the NFL for nearly two decades, said Udinski resembled O’Connell and believes he will be spectacular.
“It reminds me a ton of Kevin, when I had him as a quarterbacks coach [in 2015 with the Browns],” McCown told reporters. “You could see right away by his presence and intellect that he was going to be an excellent coach. That is definitely what I feel from Grant.”
For the time being, the Patriots are unsure of who will join Drake Maye on the sidelines next season. However, it is evident that Udinski is an intriguing contender who will be well watched regardless of where he ends up.
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