Categories: General News
| On 10 years ago

Mike Zimmer Reveals He Almost Withdrew His Name From Minnesota’s Coaching Search

By Adam Warwas

When Mike Zimmer was announced as the newest head coach of the Minnesota Vikings there seemed to be a league-wide reaction of “it is about damned time” from just about everyone.

The well-respected and productive defensive coach had been passed up for heading coaching gigs for so many years that the 2014 offseason was nearly the last straw for him.  When a team, presumably the Tennessee Titans, filled their vacancy by passing on Zimmer he said he thought about just giving up on his quest for a head coaching position.

“I almost didn’t go (on the second interview with Minnesota), yeah. I was so disappointed,” Zimmer recently told the media. “It was like, ‘Why even do this?’ It was to that point. I figured I was getting too old. I thought, ‘Forget this.’ ”

Of course, Zimmer ended up being the top choice for the Wilf family and immediately became a guy Minnesota fans are generally excited to see at the helm.

The hope here is that the Vikings are the biggest beneficiaries of the delay Zimmer experienced in trying to climb the NFL coaching ladder.

Adam Warwas

Adam Warwas (Founder) has been writing about the Vikings for a total of eight years. Five of those years have been here at Vikings Territory where he continues to surround himself with enough talented individuals that people keep coming back. As proud as he is of what Vikings Territory has become, his real treasures are in his home... a beautiful wife and three amazing children (and a dog named Percy).

Tags: Mike Zimmer

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  • I think the Vikes found just what they needed in Zimmer, and we will look back at this turn of events as a very fortunate one for the Vikings.

  • I'm sure glad he decided to make that second trip.
    Everything I see and hear about this guy is good.
    I just hope he doesn't get caught up in all the hoopla and change his MO.

    • +1, he was by far my favorite option left. The only thing that worries me is how he seems to not care about offense, giving so much control to Turner. I kinda feel like we've got co-head coaches.

      • skol, i'm real sure he cares about offense, and giving control to norv is a good thing. i think zim has a strong and secure personality, so he knows he can delegate it and leave it to norv without being a control freak or feeling threatened

        • Hey as long as we win, I'm fine with however Zim runs it. I think it's nice having a veteran Hc/Oc with him because I'm sure this is all new to him.

  • He has said he will be involved in major decision and is in constant conversation with Norv, but he realizes that his time is probably best spent to working on the D. I bet you will see about the same division in a year or so as you see in New England.

    • Anything that is "like New England" is fine with me! Especially if Bridgewater is like that Brady guy in New England