Steve Wilks and Other Coaches Who Could Join Vikings' List of DC Candidates
The Vikings interviewed former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores on Thursday, their fourth completed interview as they look to fill their defensive coordinator vacancy. Ryan Nielsen, Sean Desai, and in-house option Mike Pettine have also spoken with the team during this search.
Maybe four names is enough. It's a balanced group of great coaches from different backgrounds, and there's a great chance one of the four is eventually hired for the job.
But the list also might not be done growing.
A big reason for that is the evolving nature of everyone's situation during this NFL hiring cycle. What if the Vikings want to hire Flores but he lands a head coaching job, potentially with the Arizona Cardinals? Flores and Nielsen have also interviewed for the Falcons' DC opening, while Desai has interviewed with the Seahawks for their DC job.
That also applies to other potential candidates who might become available but previously weren't.
For example: Steve Wilks. The Panthers' interim head coach was in the mix to be hired full-time, but Carolina went with Frank Reich instead. As a result, Wilks will coach elsewhere in 2023 and could be a very interesting candidate for the Vikings. He's been a head coach, an assistant coach, and a defensive coordinator in multiple places. Before that, he coached defensive backs for a long time at the NFL and college levels. Wilks has a great reputation around the league for his leadership abilities and defensive acumen.
Might be worth an interview.
How about other head coach candidates and current defensive coordinators like Ejiro Evero (Denver) and Raheem Morris (Rams)? Both are finalists for the Colts' job, which could also go to incumbent Jeff Saturday if owner Jim Irsay overrides others in the building. Evero will presumably leave the Broncos either way, since they're hiring a new head coach. Morris could stay in Los Angeles now that Sean McVay is officially returning, but who knows? Both Evero and Morris would be fantastic candidates for the Vikings' opening.
Then there are coaches on the final four teams. The Eagles' Dennard Wilson, the 49ers' Cory Undlin, and the Bengals' James Bettcher could all make interesting candidates once their teams are done playing.
But then again, the Vikings may not want to wait that long. It's all a fascinating puzzle.
The point is this: Minnesota has four known candidates for its defensive coordinator opening, and it's a good bet that one of those four will get the job — but it's not a guarantee. Although Kevin O'Connell and company will want to make a hire soon, they also want to get this right. That means there's a chance — and this is all speculative, not reporting — that more names could enter the mix in the coming days.
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