While the Vikings, thankfully, didn’t need to find a new defensive coordinator, they did announce a couple changes to the defensive coaching staff this week. One of the peculiarities of last season was the leaves of absence of outside linebacker coach Mike Smith and defensive line coach Curtis Rumph. Smith missed the entire season. Rumph missed most of the season. To make changes even more obvious, Rumph was named the defensive line coach at Clemson in December. It was a little shocking to see Rumph accept another job while he was still supposedly employed by the Vikings. It was further proof that fans aren’t privy to everything that goes on with a team. News on Smith’s job status didn’t come until this week.
Yesterday, the Vikings used an external hire and an internal move to replace Curtis Rumph and Mike Smith. Former Denver Broncos defensive line coach Marcus Dixon was hired to replace Rumph. Assistant head coach Mike Pettine will add the role of outside linebacker coach to his responsibilities. The Vikings and Smith have parted ways. Hopefully, he gets settled whatever needed to be settled.
At 39, Marcus Dixon is a promising young coach. He crossed paths with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell in 2021 when both were on the coaching staff of Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams. O’Connell was the offensive coordinator. Dixon was in his first year in the NFL as assistant defensive line coach. When Ejiro Evero was hired as the Broncos defensive coordinator in 2022, he brought Dixon with him. In his first big opportunity, the highly respected Evero thought enough of Dixon from a single season to bring him along to Denver. Sean Payton thought enough of Dixon to retain him.
Mike Pettine is the most experienced coach on the Vikings staff. He’s been coaching and teaching football since 1992. He’s been in the league since 2002. He gained most of his notoriety as the defensive coordinator for Rex Ryan with the New York Jets from 2009-12. His molding of terrific defenses got him a head coaching shot with the Cleveland Browns 2014. That didn’t go all that well. It’s the Browns. Things have rarely gone well for the Browns since they rejoined the league in 1999. It was with the Jets in 2009 that he came to know a young quarterback named Kevin O’Connell. Pettine was impressed by the youngster. Impressed enough to hire O’Connell to be his quarterbacks coach with the Browns in 2015. Pettine has been a confidant and mentor for the young coach ever since. When O’Connell was hired as the Vikings head coach in 2022, he hired Pettine to continue as confidant and mentor in an official capacity as his assistant head coach. Last year, when the Vikings lost Smith and Rumph to leaves of absence, Pettine filled in where needed. He helped assistant defensive line coach Pat Hill with the front. He probably helped with outside linebackers as well. Now, he’s officially coaching and teaching the outside linebackers.
After Brandon Staley was fired by the Los Angeles Chargers, I thought that he might join O’Connell in Minnesota. The two had grown close while both were coaching for the Rams. I figured that Staley would get some consideration from teams in need of a defensive coordinator. If he didn’t get one of those jobs, I thought that he might want to spend a season, or more, coaching the Vikings outside linebackers. He didn’t get one of those defensive coordinator jobs and he won’t be coaching the Vikings outside linebackers. Oh well.
Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coaches
Defensive Coordinator: Brian Flores
Defensive Line: Marcus Dixon
Assistant Defensive Line: Pat Hill
Outside Linebackers/Pass Rush Specialist: Mike Pettine
Inside Linebackers: Mike Siravo
Assistant Inside Linebackers: Thad Bogardus
Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/DBs: Daronte Jones
Assistant Defensive Backs: Michael Hutchings
Defensive Assistant: Imarjaye Albury
Quality Control: Lance Bennett
As for the offense, a coach will need to be added. Assistant offensive line coach Justin Rascati was stolen by the Cincinnati Bengals to be their pass game coordinator. It’s a nice opportunity for Rascati. Good for him. The Vikings need to find another promising young coach to assist Chris Kuper with the offensive line.
No comments:
Post a Comment