Coaching search 2022 - Confirmed Interviews and Speculation

[4mnvikes1982]

Harbaugh all the way . !!!!! I hope.

Harbaugh staying at Michigan per ESPN report

[Texas Vike]

Harbaugh all the way . !!!!! I hope.

Harbaugh staying at Michigan per ESPN report

Just saw the news. I'm surprised. And yet, the let down for many Vikings fans feels eerily similar and on point.

I am honestly not sure what to think. I hope we choose O'Connell.

[J. Kapp 11]

Saw that too.

What a weird turn of events.

Looks like O’Connell, Morris or Graham.

Lucy yanks the football once again.

[StumpHunter]

I am all in on O'Connell as the only guy left with an offensive background. McVay is a brilliant offensive mind, and if O'Connell brings half of that here we would be in good shape.

Defense just isn't as important a factor as offense anymore and you need a great passing game in particular to be the best. It is not a coincidence that the last 5 SB winners were top 5 in passing DVOA or that the two teams in the SB have two of the best receiving corps in the NFL.

[StumpHunter]

Harbaugh all the way . !!!!! I hope.

Harbaugh staying at Michigan per ESPN report

I wonder what the Vikings told him that made him not want to come here?

[Punkoholic]

Couple of guys saying it's O'Connell but can't be announced until after the Super Bowl.

It was Rapoport and palissero reporting it.

[StumpHunter]

Couple of guys saying it's O'Connell but can't be announced until after the Super Bowl.

It was Rapoport and palissero reporting it.

If they don't announce tomorrow officially I think we can pretty much agree that is a lock.

[halfgiz]

Disappointed...but yet kind of a relief it’s not Harbaugh.
Hopefully O’connell Can get us back on track.
Next big question will be, who will be the coaching staff? Another long wait.

[Texas Vike]

Harbaugh staying at Michigan per ESPN report

I wonder what the Vikings told him that made him not want to come here?

Other way around. Harbaugh was all in, Vikes had some detractors in need of convincing. One board member/ minority stakes owner in particular had an issue with Harbaugh while at Michigan. Kwesi wanted Harbaugh, so it leaves me wondering just how harmonious things are between him and the owners.

I guess that wasn't the case:

[Graff] Jim Harbaugh remains so unpredictable. And that had the Vikings worried the last 48 hours. He expressed a lot of interest in becoming the Vikings coach in a Zoom on Saturday. Then today he changed his mind.

[Texas Vike]

Couple of guys saying it's O'Connell but can't be announced until after the Super Bowl.

It was Rapoport and palissero reporting it.

Yep:

[Pelissero] The #Vikings are zeroing in on #Rams OC Kevin O’Connell as their head coach, sources tell me and @RapSheet. The deal can’t be finalized until after the Super Bowl.

[Tom Pelissero] The #Vikings wrapped up an interview this afternoon with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, then informed fellow finalists Patrick Graham and Raheem Morris they’re out. O’Connell is Minnesota’s man.

[40for60]

After being apprehensive about a possible Harbaugh hire to recently being totally stoked by it this feels like a typical Vikings fan gut punch.

Hopefully it’s for the best but it doesn’t feel like that now.

[VikingsVictorious]

I wonder what the Vikings told him that made him not want to come here?

Other way around. Harbaugh was all in, Vikes had some detractors in need of convincing. One board member/ minority stakes owner in particular had an issue with Harbaugh while at Michigan. Kwesi wanted Harbaugh, so it leaves me wondering just how harmonious things are between him and the owners.

The Wilfs already off to a horrible start with their new GM, by either not offering his guy enough or not offering him at all. Kwesi already undermined by ownership his first week as GM. Seems like we had Harbaugh giftwrapped. Pathetic.

[makila]

More O'Connell being the target, Athletic article:

By Chad Graff and The Athletic Staff

February 2, 2022Updated 7:28 PM CST

2 Comments

Vikings plan to offer Rams assistant Kevin O'Connell team's head-coaching job: Source.

The news comes on the heels of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh telling the school he will be staying with the Wolverines after partaking in an all-day formal interview for the Vikings' job on Wednesday.

The Vikings are planning to make an offer to Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell to become the team’s next head coach, a source confirmed to The Athletic. This comes on the heels of the news that Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will be staying with the Wolverines after partaking in an all-day formal interview for the Vikings' job on Wednesday.

O’Connell, 36, can’t officially accept the job until after Super Bowl LVI, but the expectation is that he will be announced as head coach shortly after the Rams-Bengals matchup wraps up next weekend. O’Connell would replace Mike Zimmer, who the Vikings fired shortly after the 2021 regular season ended after the team missed the postseason the past two seasons,

O’Connell has served as Los Angeles’ offensive coordinator for the past two seasons. He spent the previous three seasons with Washington where he steadily moved up the chain from quarterbacks coach (2017) to QB coach/passing game coordinator (2018) and offensive coordinator (2019). He spent time coaching current Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins as his position coach in 2017.

He also spent time in the NFL for a few years after being the Patriots’ 2008 third-round pick. But he only played in two games his rookie season despite bouncing around until 2012.

Zimmer, 65, spent eight seasons in Minnesota compiling a 72-56-1 record, with a 2-3 postseason mark. Zimmer guided the Vikings to two NFC North titles (2015, 2017) and three trips to the postseason. But Minnesota has only made one trip to the playoffs since the Vikings signed Cousins to a fully guaranteed contract in 2018.

One of O'Connell’s primary tasks will center on helping the team improve defensively, as Minnesota finished 30th in total defense in 2021 and 27th in 2020.

(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

[Texas Vike]

Other way around. Harbaugh was all in, Vikes had some detractors in need of convincing. One board member/ minority stakes owner in particular had an issue with Harbaugh while at Michigan. Kwesi wanted Harbaugh, so it leaves me wondering just how harmonious things are between him and the owners.

The Wilfs already off to a horrible start with their new GM, by either not offering his guy enough or not offering him at all. Kwesi already undermined by ownership his first week as GM. Seems like we had Harbaugh giftwrapped. Pathetic.

It's impossible to know WTH happened, honestly, but it seems to me that Harbaugh intended to sign with us given that he came to MN. It may be, however, that he was doing all of this just to get Michigan to give him a raise and had to create the impression that he was ready to leave for them to make their best offer.

[40for60]

The Wilfs already off to a horrible start with their new GM, by either not offering his guy enough or not offering him at all. Kwesi already undermined by ownership his first week as GM. Seems like we had Harbaugh giftwrapped. Pathetic.

It's impossible to know WTH happened, honestly, but it seems to me that Harbaugh intended to sign with us given that he came to MN. It may be, however, that he was doing all of this just to get Michigan to give him a raise and had to create the impression that he was ready to leave for them to make their best offer.

Like you said, it’s impossible to know. It does seem strange if he shows up and says sorry, thanks but no thanks.