FIU DL Coach Kenechi Udeze To Work With Philadelphia Eagles Staff

Originally posted on G5 Football on SI | By Kevin Barral | Last updated May 24, 2025 11:00 AM ET

FIU Athletic

A third FIU coach has been chosen to join an NFL staff through the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. Defensive line coach Kenechi Udeze. He becomes the third coach from this FIU staff to join an NFL coaching staff through the program.

Cornerbacks coach Anthony Gaitor joined the Jacksonville Jaguars staff, offensive line coach Edwin Pata joined the Miami Dolphins staff.

Another trip to the league for @CoachBKU

This time he’ll be with the @Eagles for the beginning of training camp to add to his repertoire of NFL experience pic.twitter.com/EXCjpxhcCg
— FIU Football (@FIUFootball) May 23, 2025

Udeze, who is going into his second year at FIU, joined the staff prior to the 2024 season as an outside linebackers coach and was retained under new head coach Willie Simmons, but promoted to defensive line coach, the position he played as a player.

Before becoming a coach, Udeze was a star defensive lineman at USC and was selected with the 20th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings He started 47 of 51 games in his four years with the Vikings and posted 117 tackles, 11 sacks, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.

Following his playing career, Udeze began his coaching career as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning coach at Washington and later made it to the NFL ranks with the Seattle Seahawks as an Assistant Defensive Line coach. Udeze would be part of the Bill Walsh program in 2013 with the Minnesota Vikings, leading him to another coaching gig with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Before taking the FIU job, Udeze was with the University of Houston as a Pass Rush Specialist for one season.