A new regime, a fresh start, and a whole new look for the Minnesota Vikings starts this week after hiring Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell as the teams new head coach. This hiring follows up the Vikings bringing in former Browns Vice President of Football Operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as the teams new general manager.
O’Connell just won a Super Bowl with the Rams where his offense posted 313 total yards against a very good Cincinnati defense. He worked with the leagues best wideout this season in Cooper Kupp, and with any luck, he’ll strike gold Chad Beebe and turn him into the next Kupp.
I personally think this hire is great on a few different levels. First off, O’Connell is offensive minded and the Vikings have a promising young offensive core. With Jefferson, Thielen, Osborn, and Smith Jr. out wide and Dalvin Cook in the backfield, the opportunities are endless.
If Cousins walks, then O’Connell could try to develop Kellen Mond as QB1, pull the trigger and draft Pickett or Howell, or sign a veteran free agent like Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston. He’s a talented coach that will be able to push the Vikings offense over the top.
Another reason that I love this hire is because O’Connell is a young coach. Zimmer at sixty five wasn’t adapting with the times and O’Connell is the complete opposite of him. He’s young, innovative, and understands the direction that football is going in.
This hire actually excited me when I heard about it and for once, I felt tremendously fired up for the Vikings upcoming season and this offseason. SKOL BABY.