2022 Minnesota Vikings Coaching Staff

It took three waves of hires but the coaching staff of the Minnesota Vikings finally appears to be complete. 

2022 Minnesota Vikings Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Kevin O’Connell

Assistant Head Coach: Mike Pettine

Offensive Coordinator: Wes Phillips

Defensive Coordinator: Ed Donatell

Special Teams Coordinator: Matt Daniels

Offense:

Quarterbacks: Chris O’Hara

Assistant Quarterbacks: Jerrod Johnson 

Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs: Curtis Modkins

Receivers: Keenan McCardell

Assistant Receivers/Quality Control: Tony Sorrentino

Pass Game Coodinator/Tight Ends: Brian Angelichio

Offensive Line: Chris Kuper

Assistant Offensive Line: Justin Rascati

Pass Game Specialist/Game Management Coordinator: Ryan Cordell

Quality Control: Derron Montgomery

Defense:

Defensive Line: Chris Rumph

Assistant Defensive Line: A’Lique Terry

Outside Linebackers/Pass Rush Specialist: Mike Smith

Inside Linebackers: Greg Manusky

Assistant Linebackers: Sam Siefkes

Defensive Backs: Daronte Jones

Assistant Defensive Backs: Roy Anderson

Quality Control: Steve Donatell

Special Teams:

Assistant Special Teams: Ben Kotwica

Strength & Conditioning:

Head Strength & Conditioning: Josh Hingst

Assistant Strength & Conditioning: Marquis Johnson

Assistant Strength & Conditioning: Derik Keyes

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The third and final wave of coaching hires included:

Greg Manusky

Tony Sorrentino

Ryan Cordell

Derron Montgomery

A’Lique Terry

Steve Donatell

With his fiery personality, playing career, and extensive coaching experience, Greg Manusky is the highlight of the final additions. Despite being the most recognizable name he’s not the most talked about new Vikings coach. It’s partly because word of his addition popped a few days before the official announcement. It’s mostly because of a coach named Donatell. Due to the family members that populated the Vikings coaching roster during Mike Zimmer’s eight years in Minnesota, nepotism has been a trigger-word for fans and the media. Zimmer, Turner, Patterson, Kubiak. There was often more than one of each. Everyone has a pathetic joke about an extra Donatell. If he’s a good coach, he’s a good coach. There’s a connection of some sort with nearly every coach that’s ever been hired. Matt Daniels wouldn’t be the Vikings special teams coordinator now if John Fassel hadn’t been impressed with him as a player, gave him a shot as a coach with the Los Angeles Rams, and brought him to the Dallas Cowboys. Coaching connections are everywhere in the NFL. Steve Donatell is a quality control coach. Maybe it’s his first NFL step to a long, great coaching career. It does no one any good if he sucks at the job. 

The following are hold-overs from the 2021 Vikings coaching staff. 

Keenan McCardell

Roy Anderson

Sam Siefkes

The entire Strength & Conditioning crew

Coach of note. Ryan Cordell. Pass Game Specialist/Game Management Coordinator is a new one. Cordell shared time in San Francisco with Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. He and Adofo-Mensah also shared time in Cleveland. Cordell must’ve made a favorable impression on one or both of the Vikings new decision-makers. It’s a whole new regime in Minnesota but the in-game issues that made the end of halves a nightmare last year are still fresh. It’s reassuring that the Vikings now have someone that’ll focus on game management. Even if O’Connell wasn’t a very young, first-time head coach, it’s nice to know that he’ll be surrounded by assistants specializing in various aspects of the game. Run game coordinator, pass game coordinator, pass rush specialist, and now game management coordinator.

Breakdown of the coaches:

Total: 27

Offense: 11 (12, counting Kevin O’Connell)

Defense: 9 (10, counting Mike Pettine)

Special Teams: 2

Strength & Conditioning: 3

When I see the size of today’s NFL coaching staffs I can’t help but think of the coaching staffs of Bud Grant’s day. Those were often about a quarter the size. When Grant was a player, NFL staffs often numbered two or three coaches.

The coaching hires that intrigue me the most:

It starts with Kevin O’Connell. When the Vikings coaching search started, I was convinced that the next head coach had to be an offensive head coach. It was partly the deal of hoping for a head coach that was the opposite of the last one. It was mostly because I was hoping for some offensive consistency. One of the biggest problems of the past eight seasons was the revolving door of offensive coordinators. If the head coach is essentially the offensive coordinator, the offensive system and the voice in the quarterback’s head isn’t going anywhere. Despite all of that, when the Vikings decision-makers started the head coach interviews, defensive coaches Raheem Morris and DeMeco Ryans emerged as my favorites for the job. O’Connell was a tick behind them because I really had no sense of him. Since he didn’t call the plays, I had no feel of his contributions to the Rams offense. I knew him better as the San Diego State and journeyman NFL quarterback. As the interviews continued, I looked into him more. As the search entered the finalist stage, he was my favorite. Even over Jim Harbaugh. Especially over Jim Harbaugh. O’Connell has done nothing but impress me more since he became the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.

Ed Donatell 

Defensive coordinator was O’Connell’s most important hire. Ed Donatell was hired as the defensive coordinator before O’Connell was officially hired as the head coach. That was a little weird. Donatell’s coaching experience is outstanding. His enthusiasm is contagious. I look forward to seeing his defense. I look forward to his press conferences. It’s going to be fun. 

Keenan McCardell

I was hoping, praying that he’d return. When Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson expressed their support for Keenan McCardell, I was nearly certain of his return. McCardell is just getting started with these receivers. 

Daronte Jones

I was disappointed when Daronte Jones left last offseason for the LSU defensive coordinator job. I was happy to see him return. I hope his second stint in Minnesota is longer than the first. 

Chris Kuper 

My dream offensive line coach for the Vikings was Mike Munchak. Instead, the Vikings hired his protégé. 

Chris Kuper is ready to coach his own offensive line. I can’t wait to see the results. 

Mike Smith

The only thing that I don’t like about the hiring of Mike Smith is that I believe that he’s close to coordinating his own defense. That would be great for him. Hopefully, the Vikings edge players get him for a at least a couple seasons. 

Jerrod Johnson

Jerrod Johnson is “only” the assistant quarterbacks coach but he might be the new Vikings coach that intrigues me the most. I enjoyed watching the coaching climb of Kevin Stefanski from Brad Childress’ assistant to Mike Zimmer’s offensive coordinator. There’s something about Johnson. I believe that there could be a similar climb. I hope that it’s with Minnesota. 

Chris Rumph

Chris Rumph has some big shoes to fill in Minnesota. I’m really going to miss Andre Patterson. He’s arguably the best defensive line coach in the league. I was hoping that he’d stay but he deserves a defensive coordinator job. Hell, he deserves head coach consideration. All of the new Vikings coach have a lot to prove. It isn’t really fair but considering the man that he’s replacing, Rumph might have the most to prove.