Mike Zimmer Might Be Tone Deaf
Ted Schwerzler
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The Minnesota Vikings decided to move on from Mike Zimmer after eight years as the head coach. He was among the most successful in franchise history, but ultimately, it was clear that his time had run its course.
Mike Zimmer Might Be Tone Deaf
Now, he is back in the league with the Dallas Cowboys, but as a coordinator, he may not understand his reputation.
When going from Mike Zimmer to Kevin O’Connell, the Vikings were looking to propel their offense toward a much more progressive future. Beyond that, they wanted a culture shift regarding the message towards the roster, and the two personalities couldn’t have been more different. Zimmer was a hard-nosed, old-school coach looking to impose his will on players. That often got him tied to the definition of something close to a jerk.
Speaking on those sentiments following his hiring by the Dallas Cowboys as their defensive coordinator, it seems he is still unaware of how that may be true.
It’s not as though Zimmer is out to make babies cry and stomp out flowers or something, but the jerk persona comes from how he carries himself. Sure, he once got in hot water for mutilating stuffed animals, but even that story may have been a bit extreme. However, Zimmer seems to fail at connecting with different types of people.
When discussing his personality, the former Vikings head coach immediately credits those who like him. Of course, the position groups he lists are all on defense, and he is only hearing from supporters. Those who oppose his style aren’t going to be the ones who reach out, and, notably, he didn’t mention a single offensive type of player.
It’s that divide where Zimmer struggled most as a head coach. His offensive coordinators were a revolving door as he failed to establish an identity on that side of the ball. Personally, he was unable to connect with many of those players, and that is likely a large part of why he was passed over for a head coaching position for so long.
Being able to massage all different types of egos and figuring out how to have everyone perform at their best is the focus of a head coach. Zimmer was never able to evolve beyond a single side of the ball, and that’s why he’s best suited to be back where he is now.
Dallas is a good landing spot for him, and while the organization has changed, it’s one that he is familiar with. Zimmer can again focus on defense and isn’t tasked with doing anything he’s unqualified for. He still might not get why he was unliked, but that shouldn’t matter much in his new post.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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