Ed Donatell Speaks after Exit from Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings moved on from defensive coordinator Ed Donatell on Thursday, just four days after the team’s season ended in the first round of the playoffs courtesy of the New York Giants.
The Vikings lost at home 31-24 and began the offseason sooner than most fans anticipated.
Ed Donatell Speaks after Exit from Vikings
Thereafter, head coach Kevin O’Connell fired defensive coordinator Ed Donatell on Thursday, one day after telling reporters he was in “evaluation mode” about his coaching staff. The Vikings will now enter O’Connell’s second season with a new defensive coordinator — and probably an overhauled defense via personnel.
Donatell offered a farewell on Friday, the day after his exodus, “First and foremost, I want to thank my wife, Shari, and our family for all of their love and support. Special thanks to all of the players and coaches for their efforts in winning 13 games and the NFC North title.”
“I am thankful for the opportunity that Kevin gave me at the Vikings organization. What a wonderful environment the Wilf family has provided for Kevin, Kwesi, and the entire organization to compete for a championship. Many thanks to the extraordinary fans. It was special to witness first-hand one of the finest fan bases in the NFL,” Donatell continued.
Indeed, the Vikings won the NFC North for the first time since 2017, won 13 games in a season for only the third time in franchise history, and seemed to set a path in a positive manner for 2023 despite the disappointing home loss to the Giants.
Donatell ended the statement with well wishes, “All the best to the Vikings as they move forward with all the positive momentum from this season. Best of luck.”
The Vikings defense frequently sputtered throughout the 2022 season and was only kept afloat by turnovers. Minnesota especially struggled with these metrics:
- 27th in Defensive DVOA
- 28th in Points Allowed
- 29th in 10+ Yard Gains Allowed
- 29th in 1st Half Points Allowed
- 30th in Yards per Play Allowed
- 30th in Yards per Pass Allowed
- 31st in 3rd Quarter Defense EPA/Play
- 31st in Yards Allowed
- 31st in Passing Yards Allowed
- 31st in 15+ Yard Gains Allowed
- 31st in 25+ Yard Gains Allowed
Donatell, 65, now hits the open market with two other defensive coordinator jobs available — the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins. But it is unclear what role, if any, Donatell will hold elsewhere in 2023.
No frontrunner to replace Donatell is publicly available as of Friday afternoon, but men like Gus Bradley, Sean Desai, George Edwards, Ejiro Evero, Vic Fangio, Brian Flores, Jerry Gray, Al Holcomb, Vance Joseph, Jim Leonhard, Ryan Nielsen, Eric Washington, and Steve Wilks figure to be the experienced options. Otherwise, O’Connell could dig into his Los Angeles Rams roots to hire a former coworker like a cornerbacks or linebackers coach for a first audition.
Minnesota’s defense hasn’t been feared since around the 2019 season:
Vikings Defense DVOA,
NFL Ranking,
Since 2015:
- 2015 = 14th
- 2016 = 7th
- 2017 = 1st
- 2018 = 3rd
- 2019 = 4th
- 2020 = 18th
- 2021 = 16th
- 2022 = 27th
Vikings Hall of Fame defender Paul Krause told the Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson about the Donatell news on Thursday, “I think they made the right decision. They have to change some of the way they play.”
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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