Vikings To Hire Kevin O'Connell For Head Coach Position, Sources Say
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) -- The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly found a new head coach.
Sources tell WCCO's Mike Max that Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell will take the helm, although he technically can't accept the job until after the Super Bowl.
The move comes after reports that negotiations fell through with University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.
O'Connell, 36, is in his second season with the Rams. He previously worked with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the Vikings new general manager, during their time with the San Francisco 49ers back in 2016.
He also spent three seasons as quarterbacks coach with the now-Washington Commanders, coaching Kirk Cousins for a year before he joined the Vikings in 2018.
O'Connell was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2008, where he was a back-up QB for five seasons.
The Vikings fired head coach Mike Zimmer a day after the season ended. They finished 8-9, not good enough to earn a playoff spot. Zimmer led the team for eight seasons, compiling a 72-56-1 record with two playoff wins.
O'Connell, who is the Vikings' 10th head coach, will inherit a roster with a lot of young talent, particularly on offense. But he will also be handed an expensive, aging and underperforming quarterback in Cousins, plus a defense with numerous holes.
The Vikings had interviewed at least nine candidates for head coach before they narrowed the field to O'Connell, Harbaugh, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
General manager Rick Spielman was also ousted after the season. His successor, Adofo-Mensah, was the former VP of football operations for the Cleveland Browns.
(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)