Vikings Defensive Coach May Leave After All
Just when it seemed the Minnesota Vikings’ coaching carousel had stopped turning, the New Orleans Saints asked for one more spin.
Vikings Defensive Coach May Leave After All
That organization hired Kellen Moore this week as its next head coach after Moore successfully offensively coordinated the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
And Moore might pluck a Vikings coach to run his defense in New Orleans: defensive passing game coordinator Daronte Jones.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweeted Thursday, “The Saints have requested to interview Vikings pass-game coordinator/DBs Daronte Jones for their defensive coordinator position, per sources. Jones has been heavy on the DC interview circuit this cycle.”
One Vikings coach, Grant Udinski, has already left the team this offseason, accepting an offensive coordinator job with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Liam Coen’s new staff. Jones to the Saints would make it two departures for Minnesota.
Jones, an apparent up-and-comer for a DC gig, has spoken with the Chicago Bears and Jaguars this cycle about a promotion, but those clubs hired other options. So, Jones will either grab the Saints’ open position or return to Minnesota, a decision that should be announced next week.
Vikings coaches Brian Flores (defensive coordinator) and Josh McCown (quarterbacks coach) also interviewed elsewhere but did not fetch promotions and will return to the Twin Cities for 2025.
Taking charge of the Saints’ defense would be quite the promotion for Jones after a handful of jobs in the NFL and a high-profile gig as LSU’s defensive coordinator in 2021. Here’s Jones’ resume since the start of 2015:
Wisconsin (2015)
Defensive backs coach
Miami Dolphins (2016–2017)
Assistant defensive backs coach
Cincinnati Bengals (2018–2019)
Cornerbacks coach
Minnesota Vikings (2020)
Defensive backs coach
LSU (2021)
Defensive coordinator
Minnesota Vikings (2022-present)
Defensive backs coach (2022)
Defensive pass game coordinator (2023-)
Jones was nominated as defensive coordinator at the Senior Bowl in 2024, helping him gain national exposure on a visible stage. The maneuver worked. Truth be told, he’s probably due for a promotion. Some even speculated that he could take over as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator if the aforementioned Flores accepted a head coaching job elsewhere.
Should the Saints hire Jones, he’ll inherit the NFL’s 19th-best defense per EPA/Play.
It’s worth noting that Jones coached the LSU Tigers’ defense in 2021, so he could have a geographical connection.
Jones will turn 47 in the fall.
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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 MIN 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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