Even after the best of seasons there's often tweaks to an NFL coaching staff. When a season doesn't go as well as expected or hoped there's often a lot of changes. The 2019 Minnesota Vikings coaching staff will look a lot different than it did before the 2018 season. Those changes started last week when interim offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski had the interim tag removed for his title. The Vikings were just getting started on a makeover of their offensive coaching staff. Yesterday, former Houston Texans and Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak was hired as assistant head coach and offensive adviser to head coach Mike Zimmer. At his season-ending press conference, Zimmer touched on the tremendous loss that he, and every one in the building, felt after the sudden passing in July of offensive line coach Tony Sparano. The personal loss was obvious. The professional loss was less well known until Zimmer spoke of it. The grumpy line coach was a tremendous confidant. No one can ever replace Sparano but I think that Zimmer sought a veteran coaching presence in the building. Kubiak is certainly a veteran coaching presence. He should also be of great help to first time coordinator and playcaller Stefanski.
Kubiak isn't coming alone. He's bringing along his son, Klint Kubiak, to be the new quarterbacks coach. The younger Kubiak was the Vikings quality control coach and assistant receivers coach from 2013-14 so he's familiar with Stefanski. Brian Pariani has been hired to coach tight ends and Rick Dennison is being targeted to coach the offensive line. Pariani and Dennison have long coached with Kubiak.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins is at his best with play action being a big part of the offense. The Vikings added one of the best play action coaches in Gary Kubiak. That has to be a good thing. Kubiak and Dennison have put together some of the best zone running and blocking schemes of the past few decades. Zimmer wanted an identity on offense. It looks like he found that identity.
Minnesota Vikings Coaches (so far)
Head Coach: Mike Zimmer
Assistant head coach/offensive adviser: Gary Kubiak
Offensive Coordinator: Kevin Stefanski
Quarterbacks: Klint Kubiak
Assistant Quarterbacks: Drew Petzing
Running Backs: Kennedy Polamalu
Receivers: Darrell Hazell
Tight Ends: Brian Pariani
Offensive Line: Rick Dennison?
Assistant Offensive Line: Andrew Janocko
Defensive Coordinator: George Edwards
Defensive Line: Andre Patterson
Assistant Defensive Line: Robert Rodriguez
Linebackers: Adam Zimmer
Defensive Backs: Jerry Gray
Assistant Defensive Backs: Jeff Howard
Nickel/Defensive Backs: Terence Newman
Defensive Quality Control: Nick Rallis
Special Teams Coordinator: ?
Assistant Special Teams: Ryan Ficken
Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer bolted for his hometown Cleveland Browns last week. So the one true (current) vacancy is Special Teams Coordinator. The Vikings have been granted permission from the Miami Dolphins to interview Darren Rizzi for the job. If an interview has been completed or is scheduled it hasn't been announced.
The addition of the Kubiak quartet of coaches leaves offensive line coach Clancy Barone and tight ends coach Todd Downing in limbo. Their status should become clear soon. Barone was the offensive line coach on Kubiak's Super Bowl L team.
The work toward 2019 has begun.
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