Zimmer Era

I haven't been shy about my excitement over Mike Zimmer being the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He was my top choice to be the coach after Leslie Frazier was fired. He was my top choice once it was clear that Frazier's days were numbered. Which may have been about the day that he was hired. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Vikings haven't been in such great coaching hands since Bud Grant was brought back in 1985.

The Mike Zimmer era begins today in Mankato. He's been on the job since January. He was part of putting together the roster through free agency and the draft. He coached the team through the offseason workouts. He's been a football coach, a great football coach, since 1979. Today is the real beginning. Today is the day that he's been waiting for his entire coaching life. His first training camp as head coach. Mike Zimmer has always enjoyed the teaching aspect of coaching the most. Most of the teaching is done in training camp. This is his time. He's more than earned it.

Mike Zimmer was a "hot" head coaching candidate for most of the past decade. He'd been on my coaching radar since his time as the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys. That covered at least three Vikings coaching searches. If you can call what the Vikings did in those instances a "search." There's anywhere form 5-10 head coaching vacancies each year. He was a candidate for many of them. Each year, I was shocked that a team could find a reason not to hire Zimmer. He had some interviews. He never received an offer. I was stunned when Eric Mangini got two head coaching shots before Zimmer got one. It was frustrating for him. So frustrating in fact that he nearly decided not to visit the Vikings last January. The Tennessee Titans had just become the latest team to say "No." The rejections were getting to him. I'm glad that he made it to one more interview. Mike Zimmer is finally, deservedly, a head football coach. He shouldn't have had to wait this long but I'm so glad that he did.

Congratulations Coach Zimmer!