Vikings Coach Leaves for Open Defensive Coordinator Position
Sometimes, success comes at a cost in the NFL. Part of the cost of doing business is seeing rising talent head elsewhere.
Vikings coach Michael Hutchings — he has been working with the safeties — has skipped town after securing a defensive coordinator position in college. Jordan Schultz foreshadowed the move not long ago: “Sources: Cal plans to hire #Vikings safeties coach Michael Hutchings as their new DC. A former USC LB, Hutchings has quickly risen up the coaching ranks and was in his third season with Minnesota. Cal HC Tosh Lupoi was high school teammates with Hutchings at De La Salle.”
More recently, Emily Leiker of The Star Tribune confirmed the move. Coach Hutchings will be trading Minnesota snow for California sunshine as the DC at the University of California, Berkeley.
Vikings Coach Decides to Take DC Job in College
The team website still offers some background on the former defensive assistant.
Some initial insight: “Michael Hutchings enters his third season in the NFL and with the Minnesota Vikings and second as safeties coach in 2025. He was the Vikings assistant defensive backs coach in 2023 and previously served as the outside linebackers coach at Western Kentucky in 2022. Hutchings brings seven years of coaching experience, both collegiately and professionally, to Head Coach Kevin O’Connell’s staff.”
Consider, as well, some of his background personally and as a player.
Again from the team website: “The Concord, Calif., native played four seasons (2013-16) at inside linebacker for USC, making 15 starts and recorded 118 tackles, including eight tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, two passes defensed and one interception. Hutchings received his bachelor’s degree in communications from USC in 2017 and a master’s degree in communication management.”
As the education and coaching background suggest, we’re talking about someone with a brain in his head and who has a work ethic (nice combo). Keep Michael Hutchings tucked away in the back of your mind since he appears to be on the ascent.
In fact, defensive coordinator Brian Flores — himself the subject of some rumors about leaving — had good things to say of his now departed Vikings coach. “We just lost Hutch,” Coach Flores said on Tuesday, “let me take this time to congratulate Mike Hutchings on being named Cal’s defensive coordinator.” Per Flores, “it was pretty easy to see this guy is going places.”
Shortly thereafter, Flores indicates that Hutchings is “a rising star.”
Yet again, the safety position has been integral to the Flores defense.
Harrison Smith is genuinely a one-of-a-kind player. His mix of high-level intelligence, excellent size, physicality, compete, and work ethic make him a central piece of what’s taking place. But then there has been the growth of Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, and Jay Ward.
Indeed, one could argue that Minnesota’s recent seasons have involved the safety position exceeding expectations.
Camryn Bynum was a college corner who got switched to safety in the NFL. He turned his excellent 2023 and 2024 into a beefy contract payday to become a Colt in 2025. Jackson is in town on a middle class deal after getting poached from a practice squad, representing a win. So, too, is the ascent from Metellus a sign of crushing expectations alongside the growth from Ward, who is getting more and more hype lately.
Maybe the position coach, Michael Hutchings, has something to do with that success across the position.
One of the first dominos to fall in the offseason rests in whether Minnesota can retain DC Brian Flores. If so, then there will need to be some shuffling to account for losing a Vikings coach to college ball. Quite possibly, another coach (or two) will get chances to jump into more prominent jobs elsewhere.
Next up is a Packers game inside U.S. Bank Stadium. Winning means finishing off the season at 9-8.
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