Among Others, Dallas OC to Interview for Vikings HC Job
Dustin Baker
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Kellen Moore — not to be confused with Kellen Mond, the Minnesota Vikings current QB3 — was a stud quarterback at Boise State a little over a decade ago. And if he aces a job interview with the Vikings, he might just become the team’s 10th head coach in franchise history.
While Minnesota’s ownership insists the new, unnamed general manager will make the choice at head coach in the coming weeks, Zygi and Mark Wilf made sure the anonymous future boss will have a teeming candidate pool. On Saturday, the Vikings submitted requests to interview coaching candidates because if they did not, those potential new skippers could not be reached until after a playoff loss.
Moore runs the Dallas Cowboys offense, taking on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in the Wildcard round of the playoffs. Minnesota wants to talk with Moore — and about six others.
From this pool, the takeaway is evident. Most Vikings fans prefer an offensive-minded head coach after 10 consecutive seasons of defense-first coaches in Leslie Frazier and Mike Zimmer. However, the Wilfs don’t necessarily agree. On the tentative list, there are more defensive guys on the docket than offensive thinkers. Maybe, just maybe — Vikings ownership wants the best leader of men regardless of offensive or defensive affiliation. What a concept.
Under Moore in 2021, the Cowboys own the NFL’s sixth-best offense per DVOA and seventh-best per EPA/play. That kind of Top 10 stardom affords man a chance at the big job, and the Vikings, among other teams, will soon interview Moore accordingly.
Moore even spent some time in NFL, although he didn’t find much success. He lasted six seasons in the league with the Detriot Lions and Cowboys, playing in just two total games (for Dallas in 2015). Moore was the guy who filled in for Tony Romo the year before Dak Prescott rode into town.
At age 32, Moore has the youth factor, too. Hell, he’s younger than Kirk Cousins. Recently, the league became fascinated with young coaches after men like Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, and Kliff Kingsbury found immediate relative success. Conversely, the Vikings employed one of the oldest coaches in the league in Mike Zimmer before changing the foundational course early this week. Zimmer, an older defensive-minded coach, was the antithesis to young and offensive-minded.
If the pendulum swings for the Vikings coaching search, Moore would be a sensible hire. Some team will grant him a head coaching audition if the Vikings do not.
Eric Bieniemy, the offensive coordinator from the Kansas City Chiefs [with ties to the Vikings], is the early frontrunner to become Minnesota’s next head coach.
First, the Vikings must hire a general manager, and interviews begin Sunday.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).