Popular Vikings Coach Likely to Stay in Minnesota
Minnesota Vikings quarterback coach Josh McCown will not be the head coach of the New York Jets.
Popular Vikings Coach Likely to Stay in Minnesota
He interviewed for the position this offseason, but the gig went to Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores also chatted with New York about the post.
And according to SI.com’s Albert Breer, McCown is likely to stay in Minnesota, even if the Jets offer him the offensive coordinator job.
“Among those that I’d expect to be in the mix to be new Jets coach Aaron Glenn’s offensive coordinator: Rams pass-game coordinator Nick Caley, Texans QBs coach Jerrod Johnson and Vikings QBs coach Josh McCown. And I’d be surprised if Josh McCown left Minnesota for an OC job, for sure. But I think he’ll be on Aaron Glenn’s list,” Breer tweeted Wednesday.
McCown is fresh off the steam of helping quarterback Sam Darnold totally reclaim his career in Minnesota, and New York evidently wanted to snoop around his interest in becoming a head coach. Ultimately, New York hired a familiar candidate in Glenn, who began his NFL playing career with the Jets 30 years ago.
Flores, too, could return to the Vikings, though his head coaching aspirations received new life on Wednesday when the Jacksonville Jaguars abruptly fired their general manager, Trent Baalke. The Jaguars had previously advanced to Round 2 of the interview process without Flores, but now, anything is possible regarding the search.
The Vikings hired McCown last offseason and immediately paired him with Darnold, who constructed a magnificent regular season in 2024, accounting for 36 total touchdowns and fringe MVP mentions. Head coach Kevin O’Connell often gets the credit for Darnold’s surge, but McCown was right in the mix, too.
McCown coached the Carolina Panthers’ quarterbacks in 2023 before that staff disbanded following the failed Frank Reich experiment. O’Connell served as a quarterbacks coach in 2015 when McCown played for the Browns, so the preexisting connection could be seen when Minnesota hired him last February.
Here’s McCown’s NFL resume:
- Arizona Cardinals (2002–2005)
- Detroit Lions (2006)
- Oakland Raiders (2007)
- Miami Dolphins (2008)
- Carolina Panthers (2008–2009)
- San Francisco 49ers (2011)
- Chicago Bears (2011–2013)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2014)
- Cleveland Browns (2015–2016)
- New York Jets (2017–2018)
- Philadelphia Eagles (2019–2020)
- Houston Texans (2020)
And his blossoming coaching resume:
Carolina Panthers (2023)
Quarterbacks Coach
Minnesota Vikings (2024-present)
Quarterbacks Coach
McCown played 102 games in the NFL, starting 76 in a 17-year career. Teams led by McCown were 23-53 (.302) on his watch while he tallied a 98-touchdown to 82-interception split. He was selected in the 3rd Round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals the day after the Vikings drafted Bryant McKinnie from the University of Miami.
McCown’s assistant quarterback coach in Minnesota, Grant Udinski, is also getting offensive coordinator attention at the moment via interviews with the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, although the Patriots hired Josh McDaniels this week.
Minnesota will likely hand J.J. McCarthy the QB1 baton in 2025, meaning McCown’s return to the Twin Cities will be paramount.
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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