Coaching search 2022 - Confirmed Interviews and Speculation

[fiestavike]

Sounds like Oconnel is the new coach

https://m.startribune.com/vikings-choos ... =n&clmob=y

What a disastrous hiring.

[HardcoreVikesFan]

Seems like KAM sliced this one out of bounds. I’m willing to give him a mulligan, but let’s hope he doesn’t need another.

KAM sliced it out of bounds, or the Wilfs did?

This is why I argued that the owners should hire the GM and then the GM should hire his coach. Why the Wilfs feel they need any input into the head coach decision or have any expertise in evaluating head coach candidates is truly beyond me. If it is true that KAM wanted to bring in Harbaugh and the Wilfs inserted themselves into the decision, then it is probably best that Harbaugh walked away. The last thing he needs at this point in his career are rich businessmen telling him how to coach professional football players.

I truly fear that whatever happened that created the situation with Spielman and Zimmer will repeat itself. The difference this time will be the victims of the dysfunction will be younger and less experienced, which makes it more likely to fall apart faster than it did with Spielman and Zimmer at the helm.

The Wilfs should have sat this one out. If anyone could have turned the ship around rapidly and effectively, it was Jim Harbaugh. O'Connell is an unknown as a head coach. He's another coordinator on a team enjoying a successful run, but there is zero evidence he will be effective as an NFL head coach (assuming he is offered the job). Good interviewees don't always translate into effective employees.

Very disappointing.

I put my thoughts in the other thread, but VikingLord, you and I have the same fear. What is the point of hiring a GM to find the next head coach if you ultimately don't trust him? If ownership and the other executive role-players were going to have this much input, why even bother hiring a GM?

Harbaugh was what this team needed to bring a winning-culture in Minnesota. I will never again take the Wilfs seriously again when they say, "we are committed to winning." If they were, they would have hired Harbaugh.

[VikingLord]

In fairness to fans, the media made it sound like Harbaugh’s hiring was a done deal.

In all fairness to Jim Harbaugh it sounded like his hiring was a done deal.

The guy didn't interview for any other head coaching job around the league that I am aware of. He left his school on National Signing Day to come to Minny to "interview". I think he had good reason to believe the job was his and, more importantly, he wanted the job.

KOC might turn out to be a great hire. There is just zero evidence one can go on to suggest that is likely to happen. Harbaugh, OTOH, has a track record of proven success. He might not have continued that in Minny I guess, but as I see it, KOC is a pure roll of the dice given what is proven and known about him, while chances of rapid and sustained improvement with Harbaugh were better than 50-50.

[VikingsVictorious]

In fairness to fans, the media made it sound like Harbaugh’s hiring was a done deal.

In all fairness to Jim Harbaugh it sounded like his hiring was a done deal.

The guy didn't interview for any other head coaching job around the league that I am aware of. He left his school on National Signing Day to come to Minny to "interview". I think he had good reason to believe the job was his and, more importantly, he wanted the job.

KOC might turn out to be a great hire. There is just zero evidence one can go on to suggest that is likely to happen. Harbaugh, OTOH, has a track record of proven success. He might not have continued that in Minny I guess, but as I see it, KOC is a pure roll of the dice given what is proven and known about him, while chances of rapid and sustained improvement with Harbaugh were better than 50-50.

We had Harbaugh giftwrapped and .... and the bed.

[VikingLord]

We also know that Harbaugh is a polemical figure whose tendencies wore thin in SF, getting him fired despite the solid records. I don't want to jump to any conclusions about the extent of KAM's power or how the Wilfs are meddling with major decisions, mostly because we don't have access to what went down, and we probably will never get it. I also just want to give both KAM and O'Connell a chance before I start criticizing them or the team's decision to hire them. The reports were out there TUES that OC had been very impressive during his interview in LA. It seems like Vikings fans got ahead of themselves, assuming Harbaugh would beat him.

I see a lot of people trying to talk or reason themselves into accepting this result. That is understandable and predictable, but one thing that is beyond speculation is proven track record. Harbaugh has one. KOC does not. It's even arguable whether KOC played any significant role in the Rams' success this season. Prior to that he was a "special assistant" or something with the 49ers and worked as the OC in Washington.

KOC has youth going for him. He seems to know how to interview as well, at least as the Wilfs would interpret a good interview.

IIRC, Christian Ponder had a great interview with Spielman before the Vikings spent a 1st round pick on him. He had a track record as a college QB that was respectable, but beyond that, not much else. But he came in and answered all the questions on the chalkboard, Spielman liked him, the Vikings needed a QB that year, and the rest is history.

KOC strikes me as the head coach allegory to the decision to draft Christian Ponder. I hope I'm wrong.

[fiestavike]

We also know that Harbaugh is a polemical figure whose tendencies wore thin in SF, getting him fired despite the solid records. I don't want to jump to any conclusions about the extent of KAM's power or how the Wilfs are meddling with major decisions, mostly because we don't have access to what went down, and we probably will never get it. I also just want to give both KAM and O'Connell a chance before I start criticizing them or the team's decision to hire them. The reports were out there TUES that OC had been very impressive during his interview in LA. It seems like Vikings fans got ahead of themselves, assuming Harbaugh would beat him.

I see a lot of people trying to talk or reason themselves into accepting this result. That is understandable and predictable, but one thing that is beyond speculation is proven track record. Harbaugh has one. KOC does not. It's even arguable whether KOC played any significant role in the Rams' success this season. Prior to that he was a "special assistant" or something with the 49ers and worked as the OC in Washington.

KOC has youth going for him. He seems to know how to interview as well, at least as the Wilfs would interpret a good interview.

IIRC, Christian Ponder had a great interview with Spielman before the Vikings spent a 1st round pick on him. He had a track record as a college QB that was respectable, but beyond that, not much else. But he came in and answered all the questions on the chalkboard, Spielman liked him, the Vikings needed a QB that year, and the rest is history.

KOC strikes me as the head coach allegory to the decision to draft Christian Ponder. I hope I'm wrong.

KOC and Ponder both look like 80s movie villains too. Coincidence?

[Texas Vike]

In fairness to fans, the media made it sound like Harbaugh’s hiring was a done deal.

In all fairness to Jim Harbaugh it sounded like his hiring was a done deal.

The guy didn't interview for any other head coaching job around the league that I am aware of. He left his school on National Signing Day to come to Minny to "interview". I think he had good reason to believe the job was his and, more importantly, he wanted the job.

More importantly to whom? Harbaugh?

Curious, isn't it, that NO ONE else in the NFL is interviewing him?

I'm glad that the Vikings brought him in, kicked the tires, and made an informed decision.

[VikingLord]

I put my thoughts in the other thread, but VikingLord, you and I have the same fear. What is the point of hiring a GM to find the next head coach if you ultimately don't trust him? If ownership and the other executive role-players were going to have this much input, why even bother hiring a GM?

Collaborative decision making can produce good results, but to do that, those doing the collaborating must be competent in the subject matter. Just like a good football team must have good individual players to execute plays, a hiring team must have good individual evaluators to hire a head coach if that is the road the organization chooses to take.

Someone should tell the Wilfs to look in the mirror and accept that, at best, they are casual football fans. Rich casual football fans who happen to be lucky enough to own a pro football team, but still casual fans. They never were, are not, and never will be familiar enough with the dynamics between a head coach and his players to even begin to know whether candidate A or candidate B is really in a position to get the most out of those players and out of the overall team. They know as much about that as someone like KAM would know about evaluating a possible set of real estate deals in New Jersey, and collaborating with a GM on those types of decisions is unlikely to lead to a better result, and probably more likely to lead to a worse result.

KOC strikes me in a lot of ways as the next Mike Tice. Personable. Funny. Probably entertaining to some degree. Probably not ready to be a head coach. I guess as long as he doesn't start talking about a "Dalvin Ratio" or something silly like that I'll give him a chance.

Oh, and I think the question about Kirk Cousins' future in Minnesota has been answered. I will be shocked if Cousins isn't extended yet again before the start of this next season with the hiring of KOC.

[VikingsVictorious]

In all fairness to Jim Harbaugh it sounded like his hiring was a done deal.

The guy didn't interview for any other head coaching job around the league that I am aware of. He left his school on National Signing Day to come to Minny to "interview". I think he had good reason to believe the job was his and, more importantly, he wanted the job.

More importantly to whom? Harbaugh?

Curious, isn't it, that NO ONE else in the NFL is interviewing him?

I'm glad that the Vikings brought him in, kicked the tires, and made an informed decision.

His record as a HC is all the information needed. To look into it any further than that is for fools.

[fiestavike]

I put my thoughts in the other thread, but VikingLord, you and I have the same fear. What is the point of hiring a GM to find the next head coach if you ultimately don't trust him? If ownership and the other executive role-players were going to have this much input, why even bother hiring a GM?

Collaborative decision making can produce good results, but to do that, those doing the collaborating must be competent in the subject matter. Just like a good football team must have good individual players to execute plays, a hiring team must have good individual evaluators to hire a head coach if that is the road the organization chooses to take.

Someone should tell the Wilfs to look in the mirror and accept that, at best, they are casual football fans. Rich casual football fans who happen to be lucky enough to own a pro football team, but still casual fans. They never were, are not, and never will be familiar enough with the dynamics between a head coach and his players to even begin to know whether candidate A or candidate B is really in a position to get the most out of those players and out of the overall team. They know as much about that as someone like KAM would know about evaluating a possible set of real estate deals in New Jersey, and collaborating with a GM on those types of decisions is unlikely to lead to a better result, and probably more likely to lead to a worse result.

KOC strikes me in a lot of ways as the next Mike Tice. Personable. Funny. Probably entertaining to some degree. Probably not ready to be a head coach. I guess as long as he doesn't start talking about a "Dalvin Ratio" or something silly like that I'll give him a chance.

Oh, and I think the question about Kirk Cousins' future in Minnesota has been answered. I will be shocked if Cousins isn't extended yet again before the start of this next season with the hiring of KOC.

KOC is a dud. The combo of KAM and KOC is terribly weak. Maybe this is what the Wilfs were looking for...they didn't like being marginalized and want some dopey yes men.

[VikingLord]

In all fairness to Jim Harbaugh it sounded like his hiring was a done deal.

The guy didn't interview for any other head coaching job around the league that I am aware of. He left his school on National Signing Day to come to Minny to "interview". I think he had good reason to believe the job was his and, more importantly, he wanted the job.

More importantly to whom? Harbaugh?

Curious, isn't it, that NO ONE else in the NFL is interviewing him?

I'm glad that the Vikings brought him in, kicked the tires, and made an informed decision.

You could look at it that way, or you could look at it as Harbaugh is actually pretty happy where he is. He has autonomy, he's established, he's well paid. Maybe none of the other HC jobs had any appeal to him. I suppose its possible that the 49ers owner got him on a black list somehow, but my guess is, he knew KAM well, KAM knew him, and the Vikings job was attractive to him for a variety of reasons that made it worth it to him to consider.

Also, to be clear, Harbaugh was motivated to join the Vikings. Specifically the Vikings. KOC is looking for a HC job and would have taken one anywhere most likely. Harbaugh didn't need the job. He wanted it. That should count for a lot for a guy in his situation.

[40for60]

In all fairness to Jim Harbaugh it sounded like his hiring was a done deal.

The guy didn't interview for any other head coaching job around the league that I am aware of. He left his school on National Signing Day to come to Minny to "interview". I think he had good reason to believe the job was his and, more importantly, he wanted the job.

More importantly to whom? Harbaugh?

Curious, isn't it, that NO ONE else in the NFL is interviewing him?

I'm glad that the Vikings brought him in, kicked the tires, and made an informed decision.

And most notably, the Bears. They needed a coach. He was a former player for them. Would know the area. Seems like a good fit in Chicago. The chance to work with a young QB with all of the physical tools. And the Bears were pegged as a favorite landing spot for him if he was interested in returning to the NFL.

[vikeinmontana]

More importantly to whom? Harbaugh?

Curious, isn't it, that NO ONE else in the NFL is interviewing him?

I'm glad that the Vikings brought him in, kicked the tires, and made an informed decision.

His record as a HC is all the information needed. To look into it any further than that is for fools.

Why? Coaches don't win games by themselves. Just like QB's don't lose games by themselves. If we're going to remain consistent, one would think the record of a coach, or a player for that matter, shouldn't be the end all be all.

By your standards Harbaugh could have come in yesterday with any attitude he wanted, regardless if it aligned with our teams mission, and got the job no matter what. And if we believe what is being reported, that is what happened. JH came in assuming the job was his, and the Vikings didn't feel the same way. Maybe he interviewed terribly? Maybe they weren't in the same ballpark as far as the direction of the team? Who knows?

[J. Kapp 11]

In fairness to fans, the media made it sound like Harbaugh’s hiring was a done deal.

But yeah, we jumped to conclusions.

The Michigan media? I agree. There were reports from Ann Arbor indicating that they thought Harbaugh was giving indications that he was moving on.
But the media that covers the Vikings kept insisting that KOC had done very well in his interview and that Harbaugh was coming in for a real interview, with no conclusions pre-drawn.

Please understand, I'm retired, and it's winter so I can't play golf.

I pretty much sit around all day and look for nuggets. It becomes hard to distinguish one media source from another. But I do know that several in the national media tweeted this week that the job was Harbaugh's if he wanted it. That, of course, was wrong.

Here's the silver lining. If the Vikings do indeed hire O'Connell, the McVay coaching tree (sounds weird to say that about a guy who's 36 and in his fifth year as a coach) is already far more successful than the Belichick coaching tree. Chances are pretty good the Vikings are getting somebody who doesn't think like the typical NFL head coach. And honestly, I see that as a good thing.

[J. Kapp 11]

His record as a HC is all the information needed. To look into it any further than that is for fools.

Why? Coaches don't win games by themselves. Just like QB's don't lose games by themselves. If we're going to remain consistent, one would think the record of a coach, or a player for that matter, shouldn't be the end all be all.

By your standards Harbaugh could have come in yesterday with any attitude he wanted, regardless if it aligned with our teams mission, and got the job no matter what. And if we believe what is being reported, that is what happened. JH came in assuming the job was his, and the Vikings didn't feel the same way. Maybe he interviewed terribly? Maybe they weren't in the same ballpark as far as the direction of the team? Who knows?

Be careful. Somebody will label you a sociopath.