Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile walks off the field to be interviewed by media members after an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars Finish Coaching Staff Coup With Anthony Campanile

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated Jan 27, 2026 4:15 PM ET

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are officially running it back.

The Jaguars announced Tuesday that both offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile had agreed to terms with the team to return for the 2026 season.

Coordinators Return

The Udinski part of the equation already seemed like a sure thing earlier on Tuesday when the Buffalo Bills opted to hire Joe Brady over him to be their head coach. Udinski had dropped out of the running for the Cleveland Browns' head coaching job on Monday, greatly increasing the odds of him returning for next season.

With Udinski back after interviews with the Bills and Browns, Liam Coen and Trevor Lawrence will each benefit from the star coordinator's return. Udinski seems likely to take a head coaching job next season as long as the Jaguars and their offense have another strong season.

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Udinski, 30, helped lead the Jaguars to a record-breaking offensive season in 2025. The team’s 474 points scored, 55 touchdowns and 356 first downs established franchise records. Jacksonville also ranked among the NFL’s top 10 in points per game (27.9, sixth), scoring margin (+138, fourth), first downs (356, seventh) and total touchdowns (55, fifth)," the Jaguars said in a release.

As for Campanile, the Jaguars still had to fend off the Arizona Cardinals. Campanile had become a finalist for the Cardinals job and had an in-person interview with their brass last week, though it appears the Cardinals are likely to hire Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur as their next head coach.

Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

This means the Jaguars are set to get at least one more year of Campanile after he completely reversed the franchise's fortunes on defense. The Jaguars had one of the worst defenses in all of football in 2024, but Campanile came in with just a few new pieces and turned it into arguably the NFL's most improved unit.

"Under Campanile, 43, Jacksonville finished the 2025 season with the NFL’s best run defense. The Jaguars set franchise records with 85.6 rushing yards allowed per game, 102 passes defensed, 31 takeaways, 22 interceptions and a +13 turnover differential. Jacksonville became the first team in NFL history to produce 30+ takeaways after having 10-or-less the season prior. Campanile’s unit ranked eighth in the league in scoring defense (19.8 ppg)," the Jaguars said.

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Now, the Jaguars are as primed for success this offseason as they ever could have possibly been. The focus will now turn to potential improvements in free agency and the draft.

This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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