The Vikings 9th Head Coach is...

[PotGoblin]

He was also an assistanct coach during a super bowl win as well, Super Bowl XXX - '95 cowpies

[Fan_in_Kettering]

Greetings from Cincinnati! I want to congratulate you on hiring Mike Zimmer because you just found a GREAT head coach. We are going to miss Mike a lot in Cincinnati because it was because of him that the Bengals have been in the playoffs four of the last five seasons. I've been to training camp a few times and I hope your players are ready for "shock and awe" because Mike is TOUGH. He doesn't care if a player is a veteran or a rookie because if they screw up he will be in their face at full volume explaining exactly how to fix whatever they did. If your players have any self-esteem issues, it won't go well for them.

We would have loved to keep Mike in Cincinnati but today Bengals fans all over the world are happy he got his dream job as a head coach somewhere in the NFL. I promise you'll love this guy almost as much as we will miss him! I predict the rest of the NFC North is about to be in deep sh-t.

[PacificNorseWest]

^Good stuff. Appreciate the info and the tidbits.

I was also at their training camp though this last year...From my couch.

We're excited.

[Pondering Her Percy]

This link shows twitter's reaction to Zimmer getting the job. Amazing how much support this guy had around the league.

http://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/P ... 23972de574


....These 2 tweets REALLY stuck out at me.

@GoesslingESPN

Robison said when #Vikings met w/Spielman, they gave him a list of traits they were looking for in a coach. Thinks Zimmer meets many of them

.....I never knew Spielman did that. He wanted the players opinions as well. Great idea on Spielman's part!!

@GoesslingESPN

B-Rob on Zimmer: "He sounds like kind of the opposite of Frazier. He shows a lot of passion, excitement, emotion." #Vikings

.....seems like a slight blow to Frazier but he's definitely right.

[PurpleHalo]

Miracle worker he is not. And keep in mind that just because defense is his specialty, doesn't automatically mean they will field a top tier defense.

We all remember the guru that is Brian Billick and how his tenure in Baltimore was backed not by a great offense, but by an astounding defense.

What I'm excited about is his demeanor and attitude that he'll bring.

Well not in year one maybe, mainly because it will be a new system. Isn't that going to be refreshing to have a more attacking system, I bet Xman will flourish in Zimmers defense. And I bet Smith will go next level, Zimmer knows what he has already in those 2 young studs.

[PurpleHalo]

My observation too, we see the firey coach and think hey this guy is intense. But that doesn't tell the whole story, I also see footage where he is smiling and showing praise for a job well done. So this isn't just a cuss you out guy, this seems like a well rounded guy. The fact that nobody has a bad word about the guy proves that out. Players really respect him, and want to perform, and yes he will not sugar coat the fact that you just made a dumb play.

And when you see some of the coaches that are linked to him to maybe come here, other coaches in the business respect him too. Have we ever hired a guy who seems so well respected, outside of Bud? And why do I get the feeling the staff is going to be somewhat star studded? Although I don't see this as a super long time job for him, he is 57, maybe 7 or 8 years at best, it's a lot of work to be a successfull HC.

[Purple bruise]

This is not your Leslie Frazier http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxLLqLIutuA
And that might be a good thing

[psjordan]

This is not your Leslie Frazier http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxLLqLIutuA
And that might be a good thing

Haha. I think Bruce Boudreau is the perfect mix between Zimmer and Frazier!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXkGJtY4A4E

[Purple bruise]

Haha. I think Bruce Boudreau is the perfect mix between Zimmer and Frazier!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXkGJtY4A4E

WTF

[Purple bruise]

http://www.kfan.com/pages/vikingsblog.h ... e=11978802

sumya 'bout to get yer wish

I would very much like to see that hire.

[nightowl]

I was so excited about the hire and the news that Norv Turner was in the mix for OC, that even getting a speeding ticket couldn't bring me down. I was Happy all day yesterday and still in a great mood his morning too.

[Delaqure]

I just hope his picks for OC and DC are good ones. I know nothing about Edwards, but Turner has been around a while. I haven't done the research, but I wonder what kind of rankings his offenses have done. It seems like his offenses have been pretty good, but this is not based upon anything that I have actually researched.

His fiery demeanor doesn't excite me as much as others. Bud Grant wasn't in peoples faces yelling and such, but he did demand discipline and results and he got them. You don't have to get all dirty Harry on players to push them. I want results not fiery speeches. It's Zimmers results that have me excited.

[Funkytown]

Haha. I think Bruce Boudreau is the perfect mix between Zimmer and Frazier!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXkGJtY4A4E

Wow.

Zimmer's passion is so obvious just from that short video. I love it. Hopefully that fire is contagious!

That other guy, though? Wow. That's just too much. Eek!

[Mothman]

From Jim Souhan's Strib blog yesterday (I didn't even know he had one):

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins ... 06971.html

Zimmer is known for creative defenses and creative use of the language. Those who saw him on Hard Knocks know he can cuss like a late-night cable comedian.

I believed Leslie Fraizer would have won if he had been given a good quarterback and good cornerbacks. Zimmer will need Rick Spielman to find him a good quarterback, and he'll need to either hide the Vikings' defensive flaws or overhaul the entire unit.

Given the nature of the NFL, if Zimmer can handle the rigors of being an NFL head coach, he could contend in his first year. The Vikings have plenty of offensive talent and plenty of young talent. Whether or not he wins the press conference, Zimmer will have a chance to win next season, assuming the Vikings' quarterback position is functional.

... and from his column today:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikin ... 93071.html

There is no doubt Zimmer can coach defense and lead men. The questions he will have to answer in his first head-coaching job are the same every novice NFL head coach has to answer, including Frazier three years ago:

1. Will his leadership skills translate into his new role? Coordinators coach one-third of the team and rarely deal with big-picture organizational decisions, or have to act as the spokesman for the franchise. Many new head coaches are shocked at the diverse demands on their time and patience.

2. Can he augment his strengths by hiring a winning coordinator on the other side of the ball, and can he either command or effectively delegate on the side of the ball that is his strength? Zimmer needs to hire an excellent offensive coordinator, and a defensive coordinator who can either take command of that unit or effectively act as Zimmer’s proxy.

3. Can he find the right quarterback? The easy answer is drafting a franchise player in the first round, but Jon Gruden earned his fame by coaching Vikings castoffs Rich Gannon and Brad Johnson, and there are second-, third- and sixth-round draft choices still alive in the NFL playoffs. Zimmer and Spielman have to find the right guy somewhere, or they can share an agent while they are searching for jobs in two or three years.

More at the links.

[Mothman]

Tom Powers:

Personality-wise, the Vikings have hired the complete opposite of Les Frazier, just as we all knew they would.

Not to say that one temperament is better than the other, because Frazier was well respected. But if there is going to be a change, it might as well be a complete change. Zimmer is going to approach his duties a bit differently, and even though both sides are kissing on the cheek right now, it would be interesting to be in the room if and when Zygi Wilf suggests a personnel move.

Yes, that would be entertaining.

Personality aside, Zimmer brings an outstanding track record of defensive success. Vikings players who griped about defensive coordinator Alan Williams' conservative approach last season should have no such complaints under Zimmer, who is noted for his aggressive approach and eagerness to blitz.

Souhan said basically the same thing about the Vikes hiring a coach with the opposite of Frazier's personality.

Powers also wrote this:

So move over, Jerry Burns, your intergalactic record for most F-bombs by a head coach in one four-minute stretch -- 18 during a postgame news conference rant on Nov. 11, 1989 -- could be in jeopardy. Anyone who has seen the HBO series "Hard Knocks" knows that Zimmer has the potential to crash through that magical 18 mark.