Kevin O'Connell will be next Vikings coach

[CharVike]

My stance on this isn't going to change. Harbaugh was the right candidate for the job. In my view, the Vikings made both a terrible business and football decision going with O'Connell.

I am entrenched on my stance because it involves my father. My dad is almost 70 years old. As much as I hope and want him to live until he is 100, there is not great statistical data that states he will make it to 100. Hell, I could die before my Dad dies - that is life. I WANT and NEED to experience this bumbling-cursed team winning a Super Bowl before my Dad leaves this earth. Let's make it easy numbers and say my Dad does happen to have 30 years left on earth. In the last thirty years, the Vikings have had four shots at making it to the Super Bowl. They have found a way to screw it up every single time. Missing an easy FG/dropping an easy INT in 1998, getting completely embarrassed in 2001 by the Giants, committing turnover after turnover and being so braindead they left 12 men on the field in 2009, and finally, getting blasted by the Eagles with the supposed vaunted-Zimmer defense. What makes me think the next thirty years are going to be different? This team hasn't even been in the Super Bowl in almost FIFTY YEARS. No way in hell my dad has fifty years left to live. I might not even have fifty years left to live. The Vikings are what connect as father and son. I would give almost anything to experience watching this team finally win one so I can experience that with my dad.

I will reiterate in case my point was lost in my post: Harbaugh would have given me MORE HOPE that this team could reach the Super Bowl than O'Connell. I refuse to believe this team-spin PR that Harbaugh was arrogant and "didn't align with the view the team has for the future of the Vikings." That the hire was, "all about collaboration and leadership." Give me a break. If the Wilfs truly are committed to winning, they would have hired Harbaugh on the spot. What is more likely is that the Wilfs bowed down to the powers of Rob B, John Stapleton, and Andrew Miller who wanted a 'yes-sir,' candidate in O'Connel.

We are now risking everything by pairing a first-time GM with a first-time head coach. Talk about a bonafide recipe for disaster. How often has that pairing worked in NFL history? It has never worked-out in this team's history. It did not work with Tice (Rob B was football ops), it didn't work with Childress (Fran Foley), and it didn't work with Frazier (technically this one may not count as he was an interim choice and then made head coach). I had no problem with the Kewsi hiring. However, why we doubling down by adding inexperienced head coach to lead this team? Let alone a guy who has never even called offensive plays? What, suddenly, he is going to the be the aura in the sky over Valhalla for game management and play selection? He is going to be the guy as a first-time hire we have been missing for years? With Harbaugh, you would have been bringing in a proven leader of men who has had success. He would have been much better suited to execute the role of coaching the talent Kewsi would be bringing to the roster.

Even if 2022 was going to be 'wash-year' with Harbaugh, Harbaugh easily gives this team more wins and keeps them competitive than O'Connell will. With O'Connell being a first-time head coach, this team easily could (and probably will) finish last in the division and have one of the worst records in the NFL in 2022. 2022 will be yet ANOTHER year where life passes my dad and I by without seeing this team win anything significant. There is no guarantee this team will be competitive in 2023 either. I am expecting two bottom dwelling years with the very small chance the team gets back to relevancy in 2024. Given the history of this team and the NFL, there is a better chance this team remains incompetent. Then we are back to square one looking for potentially a new GM and definitely a new head coach in 2025.

So yeah, I am going to be upset and grumpy. I feel this team has cost myself the joy of celebrating a potential Super Bowl with my dad. I do not believe we hired the right candidate. I am tired of this team being mediocre. As a fan, I have every right to demand excellence from this team. I am beyond jaded at this point.

Rant over.

I feel for you and your dad. I’m almost 62. I’ve been at this Vikings fan thing since 1969.

However, I’ve got bad news for you. The Minnesota Vikings were no more likely to be competitive in 2022 with Harbaugh than they will be with O’Connell. And given the kick-the-can-down-the-road salary cap hell that Rick put us in, it’s going to be tough to be competitive in ‘23.

The bottom line with Harbaugh was that it simply wasn’t a good fit. Harbaugh himself has said that. There’s nothing anybody can do about that.

I’d encourage you to put the Vikings aside for awhile, take a deep breath, and come back to it when we know more. O’Connell can’t even talk about it yet. Give it time. Let him say what he’s gonna say. And if you don’t like what you hear, then stress all you want about it. Cheers man!

O'Connell will say the same BS that every new coach does. The Wilf's are great it's a beautiful facility the same old crapolla. Harbough said the same politically correct stuff. IMO his main thought was that the organization sucks and the Wilf's are a bunch of aholes. He will toss around some BS phrases like collaborative decision making. If he uses the word collaborative in any sentence he should be fired right on the spot because it's over. He needs to insert his mark on this team and make the decisions quickly. There's no time for collaboration which will include a bunch of meetings with a bunch of different people and blah blah blah. That's a never ending process which means nothing happens. Need to be faster than that. No waiting. No joining of the minds. He needs to grab the bull by the horns. He's in a sprint not a marathon. Hopefully he goes out on a limb and basically says we will go for the throat. No let up. Come out attacking on both sides of the ball. First order of business is to dethrone that Packer squad and win the division and get a few weeks off to rest up the team for a run. But I like the hire. I know if it will be different based on how we line up on offense from the 1st play.
I want to see 11 personnel (three receivers, a tight end and running back). Basically attack and get up and put the D in one dimensional mode. If we come out in a traditional set with a give to Ham for minus yardage or dump off to Cook for nothing then I'll be pissed with this new guy. That's basically Zim ball.

[StumpHunter]

Even with Bill Bellicheck this team was not going to compete for a SB next season, so getting worst in 2022 is worth it if it means getting much better in 2023.

I couldnt disagree more. Even with Harbaugh we would have to have hope. Anyone coming into a new situation is a gamble. So why be grumpy and pissed off. Hope for the best. Doesnt do any good just to grumble about everything. Maybe Mensah knows what he is doing.

My stance on this isn't going to change. Harbaugh was the right candidate for the job. In my view, the Vikings made both a terrible business and football decision going with O'Connell.

I am entrenched on my stance because it involves my father. My dad is almost 70 years old. As much as I hope and want him to live until he is 100, there is not great statistical data that states he will make it to 100. Hell, I could die before my Dad dies - that is life. I WANT and NEED to experience this bumbling-cursed team winning a Super Bowl before my Dad leaves this earth. Let's make it easy numbers and say my Dad does happen to have 30 years left on earth. In the last thirty years, the Vikings have had four shots at making it to the Super Bowl. They have found a way to screw it up every single time. Missing an easy FG/dropping an easy INT in 1998, getting completely embarrassed in 2001 by the Giants, committing turnover after turnover and being so braindead they left 12 men on the field in 2009, and finally, getting blasted by the Eagles with the supposed vaunted-Zimmer defense. What makes me think the next thirty years are going to be different? This team hasn't even been in the Super Bowl in almost FIFTY YEARS. No way in hell my dad has fifty years left to live. I might not even have fifty years left to live. The Vikings are what connect as father and son. I would give almost anything to experience watching this team finally win one so I can experience that with my dad.

I will reiterate in case my point was lost in my post: Harbaugh would have given me MORE HOPE that this team could reach the Super Bowl than O'Connell. I refuse to believe this team-spin PR that Harbaugh was arrogant and "didn't align with the view the team has for the future of the Vikings." That the hire was, "all about collaboration and leadership." Give me a break. If the Wilfs truly are committed to winning, they would have hired Harbaugh on the spot. What is more likely is that the Wilfs bowed down to the powers of Rob B, John Stapleton, and Andrew Miller who wanted a 'yes-sir,' candidate in O'Connel.

We are now risking everything by pairing a first-time GM with a first-time head coach. Talk about a bonafide recipe for disaster. How often has that pairing worked in NFL history? It has never worked-out in this team's history. It did not work with Tice (Rob B was football ops), it didn't work with Childress (Fran Foley), and it didn't work with Frazier (technically this one may not count as he was an interim choice and then made head coach). I had no problem with the Kewsi hiring. However, why we doubling down by adding inexperienced head coach to lead this team? Let alone a guy who has never even called offensive plays? What, suddenly, he is going to the be the aura in the sky over Valhalla for game management and play selection? He is going to be the guy as a first-time hire we have been missing for years? With Harbaugh, you would have been bringing in a proven leader of men who has had success. He would have been much better suited to execute the role of coaching the talent Kewsi would be bringing to the roster.

Even if 2022 was going to be 'wash-year' with Harbaugh, Harbaugh easily gives this team more wins and keeps them competitive than O'Connell will. With O'Connell being a first-time head coach, this team easily could (and probably will) finish last in the division and have one of the worst records in the NFL in 2022. 2022 will be yet ANOTHER year where life passes my dad and I by without seeing this team win anything significant. There is no guarantee this team will be competitive in 2023 either. I am expecting two bottom dwelling years with the very small chance the team gets back to relevancy in 2024. Given the history of this team and the NFL, there is a better chance this team remains incompetent. Then we are back to square one looking for potentially a new GM and definitely a new head coach in 2025.

So yeah, I am going to be upset and grumpy. I feel this team has cost myself the joy of celebrating a potential Super Bowl with my dad. I do not believe we hired the right candidate. I am tired of this team being mediocre. As a fan, I have every right to demand excellence from this team. I am beyond jaded at this point.

Rant over.

I get it and I think Harbaugh was the right choice too. He was the more sure thing versus a random coordinator who had never been a HC before.

Now that we have picked a different guy though, I will hope that different guy is better than Harbaugh and root for him to succeed until he proves he isn't good enough.

I also don't think the odds of us winning the SB soon increased or decreased significantly with this move. We are a long ways away from having a SB roster and need a couple of great drafts in a row to get there in 3 or more seasons.

[40for60]

An excellent article today on the Vikings HC search by Ben Goessling, a beat writer for the StarTribune:

https://www.startribune.com/vikings-coa ... 600143561/

It's unlikely to change your opinion of whether they made the right in KOC or should have hired Harbaugh, but it gives insight into the HC hiring process and why they chose KOC. I recommend reading the article.

To those who have previously said they could not read a StarTribune article as they have used up their free viewing, I think you can clear your browser cache and maybe restart your browser. At least that worked for me in the past.

Also, there is a tidbit in another part of the paper that is interesting:

Count receiver Justin Jefferson among the players happy with the Vikings’ choice to make Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell the next coach. Talking with NFL Media in Las Vegas before the Pro Bowl, Jefferson said he’s pleased with having the head coach on his side of the ball.

“I’ve been watching the Rams offense for a minute now.

They get their playmakers the ball,” Jefferson said. “They have some tremendous plays, Cooper Kupp wide open all the time. I’m excited for it. This is my first head coach that’s going to be on the offensive side instead of defensive side, so, I’m happy.”

[StanM]

Harbaugh would have been the "win now" choice complete with oddball personality, the understanding he would only hang around for a few years and his asking price. O'Connell is the rebuilt young offensive guru who excels at team building. Harbaugh would have probably tried to patch up the roster in one off season and I think based on the cap and aging players we're beyond that. He has been out of the NFL for a decade so there is a pretty good chance it might be more of the same. I'm OK with the hiring, I've seen every season and every coach since 1961 so I'm OK with trying a different approach. Nobody owes me a "Super Bowl before I die", it's just entertainment, something to do on a Sunday afternoon. Four Super Bowl losses didn't change a thing in my personal life and a win won't matter either. The Twins winning the series in '87 didn't change anything, I still had to take out the garbage the next day and go to work.

[VikingsVictorious]

I feel for you and your dad. I’m almost 62. I’ve been at this Vikings fan thing since 1969.

However, I’ve got bad news for you. The Minnesota Vikings were no more likely to be competitive in 2022 with Harbaugh than they will be with O’Connell. And given the kick-the-can-down-the-road salary cap hell that Rick put us in, it’s going to be tough to be competitive in ‘23.

The bottom line with Harbaugh was that it simply wasn’t a good fit. Harbaugh himself has said that. There’s nothing anybody can do about that.

I’d encourage you to put the Vikings aside for awhile, take a deep breath, and come back to it when we know more. O’Connell can’t even talk about it yet. Give it time. Let him say what he’s gonna say. And if you don’t like what you hear, then stress all you want about it. Cheers man!

O'Connell will say the same BS that every new coach does. The Wilf's are great it's a beautiful facility the same old crapolla. Harbough said the same politically correct stuff. IMO his main thought was that the organization sucks and the Wilf's are a bunch of aholes. He will toss around some BS phrases like collaborative decision making. If he uses the word collaborative in any sentence he should be fired right on the spot because it's over. He needs to insert his mark on this team and make the decisions quickly. There's no time for collaboration which will include a bunch of meetings with a bunch of different people and blah blah blah. That's a never ending process which means nothing happens. Need to be faster than that. No waiting. No joining of the minds. He needs to grab the bull by the horns. He's in a sprint not a marathon. Hopefully he goes out on a limb and basically says we will go for the throat. No let up. Come out attacking on both sides of the ball. First order of business is to dethrone that Packer squad and win the division and get a few weeks off to rest up the team for a run. But I like the hire. I know if it will be different based on how we line up on offense from the 1st play.
I want to see 11 personnel (three receivers, a tight end and running back). Basically attack and get up and put the D in one dimensional mode. If we come out in a traditional set with a give to Ham for minus yardage or dump off to Cook for nothing then I'll be pissed with this new guy. That's basically Zim ball.

Ham and Cook don't get nothing. They get good yardage.

[VikingsVictorious]

My stance on this isn't going to change. Harbaugh was the right candidate for the job. In my view, the Vikings made both a terrible business and football decision going with O'Connell.

I am entrenched on my stance because it involves my father. My dad is almost 70 years old. As much as I hope and want him to live until he is 100, there is not great statistical data that states he will make it to 100. Hell, I could die before my Dad dies - that is life. I WANT and NEED to experience this bumbling-cursed team winning a Super Bowl before my Dad leaves this earth. Let's make it easy numbers and say my Dad does happen to have 30 years left on earth. In the last thirty years, the Vikings have had four shots at making it to the Super Bowl. They have found a way to screw it up every single time. Missing an easy FG/dropping an easy INT in 1998, getting completely embarrassed in 2001 by the Giants, committing turnover after turnover and being so braindead they left 12 men on the field in 2009, and finally, getting blasted by the Eagles with the supposed vaunted-Zimmer defense. What makes me think the next thirty years are going to be different? This team hasn't even been in the Super Bowl in almost FIFTY YEARS. No way in hell my dad has fifty years left to live. I might not even have fifty years left to live. The Vikings are what connect as father and son. I would give almost anything to experience watching this team finally win one so I can experience that with my dad.

I will reiterate in case my point was lost in my post: Harbaugh would have given me MORE HOPE that this team could reach the Super Bowl than O'Connell. I refuse to believe this team-spin PR that Harbaugh was arrogant and "didn't align with the view the team has for the future of the Vikings." That the hire was, "all about collaboration and leadership." Give me a break. If the Wilfs truly are committed to winning, they would have hired Harbaugh on the spot. What is more likely is that the Wilfs bowed down to the powers of Rob B, John Stapleton, and Andrew Miller who wanted a 'yes-sir,' candidate in O'Connel.

We are now risking everything by pairing a first-time GM with a first-time head coach. Talk about a bonafide recipe for disaster. How often has that pairing worked in NFL history? It has never worked-out in this team's history. It did not work with Tice (Rob B was football ops), it didn't work with Childress (Fran Foley), and it didn't work with Frazier (technically this one may not count as he was an interim choice and then made head coach). I had no problem with the Kewsi hiring. However, why we doubling down by adding inexperienced head coach to lead this team? Let alone a guy who has never even called offensive plays? What, suddenly, he is going to the be the aura in the sky over Valhalla for game management and play selection? He is going to be the guy as a first-time hire we have been missing for years? With Harbaugh, you would have been bringing in a proven leader of men who has had success. He would have been much better suited to execute the role of coaching the talent Kewsi would be bringing to the roster.

Even if 2022 was going to be 'wash-year' with Harbaugh, Harbaugh easily gives this team more wins and keeps them competitive than O'Connell will. With O'Connell being a first-time head coach, this team easily could (and probably will) finish last in the division and have one of the worst records in the NFL in 2022. 2022 will be yet ANOTHER year where life passes my dad and I by without seeing this team win anything significant. There is no guarantee this team will be competitive in 2023 either. I am expecting two bottom dwelling years with the very small chance the team gets back to relevancy in 2024. Given the history of this team and the NFL, there is a better chance this team remains incompetent. Then we are back to square one looking for potentially a new GM and definitely a new head coach in 2025.

So yeah, I am going to be upset and grumpy. I feel this team has cost myself the joy of celebrating a potential Super Bowl with my dad. I do not believe we hired the right candidate. I am tired of this team being mediocre. As a fan, I have every right to demand excellence from this team. I am beyond jaded at this point.

Rant over.

I get it and I think Harbaugh was the right choice too. He was the more sure thing versus a random coordinator who had never been a HC before.

Now that we have picked a different guy though, I will hope that different guy is better than Harbaugh and root for him to succeed until he proves he isn't good enough.

I also don't think the odds of us winning the SB soon increased or decreased significantly with this move. We are a long ways away from having a SB roster and need a couple of great drafts in a row to get there in 3 or more seasons.

With health and a little luck we'd be in the Super Bowl this year. However, we are an aging team so we may have to rebuild.

[VikingsVictorious]

Harbaugh would have been the "win now" choice complete with oddball personality, the understanding he would only hang around for a few years and his asking price. O'Connell is the rebuilt young offensive guru who excels at team building. Harbaugh would have probably tried to patch up the roster in one off season and I think based on the cap and aging players we're beyond that. He has been out of the NFL for a decade so there is a pretty good chance it might be more of the same. I'm OK with the hiring, I've seen every season and every coach since 1961 so I'm OK with trying a different approach. Nobody owes me a "Super Bowl before I die", it's just entertainment, something to do on a Sunday afternoon. Four Super Bowl losses didn't change a thing in my personal life and a win won't matter either. The Twins winning the series in '87 didn't change anything, I still had to take out the garbage the next day and go to work.

Ain't it the truth.

[Barry]

I understand your feelings, and I can't say you're wrong. I can't say you're wrong because I have know idea how the hiring process went. No one does. Which is why I find it so funny when fans get so excited or so upset about the hiring process. None of us have a clue what went down yesterday.

Agreed, we only see the results of the process.

Btw, read that Harbaugh thought the meeting was a formality and came in thinking that the job was his. Kind of like, "You know who I am? I don't interview, my resume says enough". But I was Dr. Drake Ramoray type of mindset!!

I thought the same exact thing!

[CharVike]

O'Connell will say the same BS that every new coach does. The Wilf's are great it's a beautiful facility the same old crapolla. Harbough said the same politically correct stuff. IMO his main thought was that the organization sucks and the Wilf's are a bunch of aholes. He will toss around some BS phrases like collaborative decision making. If he uses the word collaborative in any sentence he should be fired right on the spot because it's over. He needs to insert his mark on this team and make the decisions quickly. There's no time for collaboration which will include a bunch of meetings with a bunch of different people and blah blah blah. That's a never ending process which means nothing happens. Need to be faster than that. No waiting. No joining of the minds. He needs to grab the bull by the horns. He's in a sprint not a marathon. Hopefully he goes out on a limb and basically says we will go for the throat. No let up. Come out attacking on both sides of the ball. First order of business is to dethrone that Packer squad and win the division and get a few weeks off to rest up the team for a run. But I like the hire. I know if it will be different based on how we line up on offense from the 1st play.
I want to see 11 personnel (three receivers, a tight end and running back). Basically attack and get up and put the D in one dimensional mode. If we come out in a traditional set with a give to Ham for minus yardage or dump off to Cook for nothing then I'll be pissed with this new guy. That's basically Zim ball.

Ham and Cook don't get nothing. They get good yardage.

I know that. It was an off hand remark. I meant don't do the same old stuff. Shake it up. Get 3 WR in there and spread that D out.

[J. Kapp 11]

Tell you what, after watching Alex Boone's breakdown of some of the Rams' offensive concepts, I'm pretty excited about Kevin O'Connell.

Watch it here. It's well worth your time.

[JJBreaksRecords]

Tell you what, after watching Alex Boone's breakdown of some of the Rams' offensive concepts, I'm pretty excited about Kevin O'Connell.

Watch it here. It's well worth your time.

Is this the video of Boone showing different formations the Rams had, and had Matti playing a bigger role, and Cook being sneaky? If so that was one of the best podcasts ive seen of them in at least a year.

[CharVike]

Tell you what, after watching Alex Boone's breakdown of some of the Rams' offensive concepts, I'm pretty excited about Kevin O'Connell.

Watch it here. It's well worth your time.

That's a good watch. I'm glad your excited and you should be.

[J. Kapp 11]

Tell you what, after watching Alex Boone's breakdown of some of the Rams' offensive concepts, I'm pretty excited about Kevin O'Connell.

Watch it here. It's well worth your time.

Is this the video of Boone showing different formations the Rams had, and had Matti playing a bigger role, and Cook being sneaky? If so that was one of the best podcasts ive seen of them in at least a year.

Yes, that’s the one.

Glad I’m not the only one who finds it an incredible breakdown.

[VikingsVictorious]

Is this the video of Boone showing different formations the Rams had, and had Matti playing a bigger role, and Cook being sneaky? If so that was one of the best podcasts ive seen of them in at least a year.

Yes, that’s the one.

Glad I’m not the only one who finds it an incredible breakdown.

If the Rams offensive concepts are so good that we can watch a video about them and think they're great they're probably already out of date.

[vikeinmontana]

Yes, that’s the one.

Glad I’m not the only one who finds it an incredible breakdown.

If the Rams offensive concepts are so good that we can watch a video about them and think they're great they're probably already out of date.

Oh man VV. Now you're REALLY reaching for reasons why O'Connell was a bad hire!