2022 Minnesota Vikings Coaching Staff

The Minnesota Vikings open training camp in a few days. The rookies report on Sunday. The veterans report one week from today. Despite lazy reports that the Vikings are simply “running it back” with the same old players, over a third of the 90-man roster is new to the team. A new coaching staff will be coaching the team. New offense. New defense. New special teams. The returning players will be different players in new schemes and under new coaching. Even the front office is new and reconfigured. About the only thing that remains the same is the stadium and the facilities in which the team plays and trains. Anyway, in advance of the opening of the team’s training camp, here’s another look at the 2022 Minnesota Vikings Coaching 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:

Director of Player Performance: Josh Hingst

Assistant Director of Player Performance: Marquis Johnson

Assistant Director of Player Performance: Derik Keyes

Assistant Director of Player Performance/Sports Science: Dan Ridenour

***

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

Keenan McCardell

Roy Anderson

Sam Siefkes

The entire Player Performance crew

-I like that “Strength & Conditioning” is now termed “Player Performance.” 

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 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 each day that he’s been 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.