The Minnesota Vikings will have their new head coach in the facility by the end of the week, as the team plans to introduce former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell as their new lead man Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reported earlier this month that the Vikings had tabbed O'Connell as their new head coach, but the move couldn't be official since he was coaching vs. the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. While the deal virtually seemed done, there was some intrigue injected into the situation when Rams head coach Sean McVay recently admitted he "won't make it" coaching until 60. Per ESPN's Nick Wagoner, there have been recent rumblings about the coach's long-term future. Pro Football Talk publicly wondered if O'Connell's deal with Minnesota could fall through should McVay decide to leave the sidelines.
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O'Connell was one of CBS Sports' top three candidates to replace Mike Zimmer this offseason. He's spent the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Rams, but is more than the stereotypical young offensive mind that found success under McVay much like Bengals head coach Zac Taylor. O'Connell is also a former Washington assistant like McVay and Kyle Shanahan that could be ready to find success.
O'Connell has been a highly-regarded assistant over the past few years during his time in Washington and L.A. McVay even reportedly blocked him from interviewing with the Los Angeles Chargers for a lateral move last offseason. Additionally, O'Connell knows Kirk Cousins, as he served as his quarterbacks coach in 2017. He reportedly told the Vikings he was high on their quarterback, which means we should be able to put any separation talk to bed this offseason.
