Minnesota Vikings “Dream” Coaching Staff

The Minnesota Vikings have their general manager. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Now, it’s time for the head coach. As I impatiently wait for that hire, I can’t help but jump way ahead and dream about all of the coaches that might work for the new head coach. Of course, that all depends on the head coach. For the purpose of this ridiculous exercise, I’m going with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as the next head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. Most days, he’s my #1 choice for the job. Other days, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is my #1. Anyway, here’s the “Dream” Coaching Staff for first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans.

Head Coach

DeMeco Ryans

Offensive Coordinator

Mike McDaniel

Defensive Coordinator

Patrick Graham

Special Teams Coordinator

Ryan Ficken

Quarterbacks

Sean Mannion

Running Backs

Ron Gould

Receivers

Keenan McCardell

Tight Ends Coach

Andrew Janocko

Offensive Line

Mike Munchak

Defensive Line

Andre Patterson

Linebackers

Antonio Pierce

Defensive Backs

Gerald Alexander

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A few of these coaches are very dreamy. Probably too dreamy. Mike Munchak? It would be beautiful if he’s coaching the Vikings  offensive line. Mike McDaniel? Patrick Graham? One can dream.

A couple of the coaches have Cal connections. Ron Gould is currently Stanford’s running back coach. It’d be nice if the Vikings got him out of Palo Alto. He was Cal’s running backs coach when they were sending Marshawn Lynch, Justin Forsett, Shane Vereen, J.J. Arrington, and Jahvid Best to the NFL. Gould is a great coach. Gerald Alexander was the defensive backs coach for Brian Flores on the Miami Dolphins. Before that, he was molding Cal’s DBs into NFL players. Alexander is a great coach. 

Whoever is named head coach, I hope that he considers a few of the current Vikings coaches.

Andre Patterson, defensive coordinator/defensive line

Keenan McCardell, receivers

Ryan Ficken, special teams coordinator

Phil Rauscher, offensive line

Andrew Janocko, quarterbacks

Andre Patterson and Keenan McCardell top the list. I kinda doubt that Patterson would stay for any job other than defensive coordinator. I’d be thrilled if he was named the defensive coordinator. I just want him in Minnesota coaching the defensive line in some capacity. McCardell is the coach that I feel is most likely to stay. If the decision-makers value the opinions of Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and probably all of the receivers, McCardell will continue coaching in Minnesota. 

I have current Vikings quarterback Sean Mannion as the quarterbacks coach. I have him as a coach mostly because I don’t want to see him as a Vikings quarterback. All of the talk about Mannion’s role on the team has been about how smart he is, how well he works with Kirk Cousins, how good he is with the quarterbacks in the classroom and on the field. Sounds like the makings of a terrific coach. Perhaps a better coach than he ever was as a player.