The Minnesota Vikings have a new coaching staff. With the players added to the roster over the past few months it’s easy to forget those new coaches. New head coach Kevin O’Connell put together an interesting staff.
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
Assistant to the Head Coach/Special Projects: Grant Udinski
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
***
The following are hold-overs from the 2021 Vikings coaching staff.
Keenan McCardell
Roy Anderson
Sam Siefkes
The entire Strength & Conditioning crew
Breakdown of the coaches:
Total: 28
Offense: 12 (13, counting Kevin O’Connell)
Defense: 9 (10, counting Mike Pettine)
Special Teams: 2
Strength & Conditioning: 3
Grant Udinski was O’Connell’s last coaching hire. Udinski is listed as assistant to the head coach, and listed here as an offensive coach. He shouldn’t be considered solely an offensive coach as his special projects are probably an organization-wide thing.
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 for 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 might be close to coordinating his own defense. That would be great for him. Hopefully, the Vikings edge players get him for 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.
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