Yet Another Former Vikings Coach on the Hot Seat
It’s not just Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland.
Yet Another Former Vikings Coach on the Hot Seat
That former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator turned head coach is firmly on the hot seat, according to oddsmakers, and after Week 6, his former boss Mike Zimmer is, too.
The Dallas Cowboys employ Zimmer as defensive coordinator, an offseason hire, and his team’s defense utterly flopped at the feet of the Detroit Lions on Sunday, losing an embarrassing matchup at home by a score of 47-9.
And through Week 6, Dallas’ defense ranks 27th per EPA/Play, also known as the fifth-worst in the business. Of course, the Cowboys are battling multiple injuries at the defensive end spot, but with all-in stakes renewed annually, Dallas faces win-now expectations. Zimmer’s unit also places 30th in the sport per points allowed.
To be clear, Zimmer isn’t the only coach on the hot seat. Head coach Mike McCarthy could be, as well, at least per sportsbooks’ forecasts. McCarthy’s coach-to-be-fired odds live around +400 after Week 6, which is less than ideal for the long-time skipper.
Former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn left Dallas during the 2024 offseason for a head coaching job in Washington, meaning an already proficient defense needed a competent coordinator to maintain success. Dallas named Zimmer as the top guy eight months ago. So far, the experiment is veering off the rails.
Zimmer head coached Minnesota for eight seasons from 2014 to 2021, responsible for the NFL’s 10th-best record on his watch (72-56-1, .540). The Vikings parted ways with Zimmer and his boss, Rick Spielman, after the 2021 season, paving the way for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell to take over in 2022. The pair boasts the league’s seventh-best record since.
The ex-Vikings skipper also made headlines in August via a scorched earth interview with the Star Tribune. Following his January 2022 termination, the Vikings’ owners, Mark and Zygi Wilf, asked Zimmer if he wished to address his football team — basically to say goodbye, a farewell address. According to Zimmer, he had no interest. “They asked me if I wanted to address the team. And I said, ‘Hell, no. They got me fired!'” Zimmer told the Star Tribune in a tell-all sitdown.
“I can tell you I’ve not watched one Minnesota game since,” Zimmer added.
Zimmer also expressed retrospective dismay over Spielman’s selection of quarterback Kellen Mond in the 2021 NFL Draft. “The first round, Rick tried to trade up for Justin Fields, who hasn’t done anything. When he picked Mond, I walked out of the room. I left the building,” Zimmer said.
“I didn’t even talk to him on the phone. Rick said, ‘You mad at me?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I think you took four backups when we had guys there I thought were starters.’ From that time on, it just kind of got worse between us. And I’m not saying nothing was my fault. I’m sure there were plenty of things that were my fault.”
Next up for Zimmer, McCarthy, and the Cowboys? A bye week, followed by a road game at the San Francisco 49ers. Not a promising get-right opponent.
Zimmer will turn 69 next June.
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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