1 Year Ago — The Move That Changed Everything for the Vikings
Two people had been in charge of the Vikings for years before the organization took drastic steps. General manager Rick Spielman was let go after spending one and a half decades with the franchise, first as vice director of player personnel, later as GM. He was responsible for some excellent and disappointing draft classes during his tenure. He also hired some more and less successful coaches.
His last head coaching hire was Mike Zimmer in 2014. The longtime NFL assistant coach finally got his chance to lead a team, and he did that for eight years. Minnesota also let him go after consecutive seasons with a disappointing ending.
Throughout their tenures with the Vikings, the organization gained a lot of respect. The best season with both in charge came in 2017 when the team made it all the way to the NFC Championship game after a 13-3 regular season. Zimmer led some feared defenses, built in the draft by Spielman. However, the franchise needed a change at some point, and both had to go. New hires in the two top positions are always crucial for the next years, maybe even decades.
1 Year Ago – The Move That Changed Everything for the Vikings
The first move was to replace Spielman. Former Wall Street Trader Kwesi Adofo-Mensah emerged as the top candidate, and the former Browns VP of football operations got the job. He was now left with 0ne big task – finding the new head coach of the football team.
The Vikings had many interviews, the most anticipated one was with Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, but the team eventually settled for one of the assistant coaches of the Super Bowl-bound Rams, so the purple team had to wait until after the big game to make the hiring official.
Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell, the right-hand man of Sean McVay, was the first big move from the new GM, and it turned out to be a wonderful one. He had his introductory press conference on February 17, one year ago, and the organization immediately changed.
Vikings fans have been excited from day one.
O’Connell is exactly what teams look for in new head coaches. He is an offensive-minded coach, he is young, and he has outstanding charisma and energy – the prototype ever since Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan started that trend.
The new Vikings coach changed a lot in his first months with the team. He hired a whole new coaching staff, including defensive coordinator Ed Donatell who already had to leave. The other coaches seem to be good hires, especially after some were invited to job interviews in different places in the last few weeks, but only time will tell.
O’Connell also changed the offensive scheme from a Kubiak-style system to a McVay offense. While the offensive numbers didn’t change much, it certainly looked more like an offense from the year 2022 than the ones the Vikings had before. Struggles have always been expected in the first season with a new scheme, and it’s likely that the second year will be better. Players like Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson will have an even better understanding in their second year in the system.
O’Connell’s first season was a full success, winning 13 games. Even the disappointing ending to the season, the playoff loss to the Giants, can’t take away anything from O’Connell’s rookie campaign. The players seem to love him, and the postgame locker room speeches are must-watch after every win.
The rookie head coach took over a franchise that had won 15 games in the previous two seasons and won 13 contests in his first try. Because of that hire, the Vikings have a great future ahead. There’s always risk involved when a franchise appoints a rookie as head coach, but the Vikings have hit the jackpot.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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