Vikings Fire Head Coach Mike Zimmer After Eight Seasons and Three Playoff Appearances
What was widely expected is now official: the Minnesota Vikings have fired head coach Mike Zimmer after eight seasons, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
This became inevitable when the Vikings were blown out by the Packers in Week 17, eliminating them from playoff contention. Perhaps it was inevitable even a few weeks earlier than that when the Vikings lost to a then-winless Lions team. In the end, finishing 8-9 and falling short of the postseason for a second consecutive year spelled the end of the Zimmer era in Minnesota.
Zimmer finishes his eight seasons coaching the Vikings with a 74-59-1 record, including a 2-3 playoff record. He was the seventh longest-tenured head coach in the NFL. Of the nine coaches in Vikings history, Zimmer ranks third in length of tenure, victories, and winning percentage, trailing only Bud Grant and Dennis Green in those categories. He won NFC North titles in 2015 and 2017.
“Regardless of anything that goes on after the season, I can stand proud," Zimmer said last week. “When I walk into a stadium like Lambeau or I walk in U.S. Bank Stadium and I say to myself, ‘A billion people would love to be standing here right now and doing this job.'"
When Zimmer was hired in 2014 to replace Leslie Frazier, his task was to change the culture and bring some defensive stability to a franchise that had been spinning its wheels since reaching the NFC championship game in 2009. He did exactly that. The Vikings won the NFC North in Zimmer's second season behind an emerging defense, coming a Blair Walsh missed field goal away from a playoff victory.
Two years later, they had a remarkable 13-3 season despite losing their quarterback and running back to injuries early in the year. The 2017 Vikings had the best defense in the NFL. That season ended with the Minneapolis Miracle and a beatdown in Philadelphia in the conference title game.
Then the Vikings, believing they needed a boost at quarterback to get over the hump, went out and signed Kirk Cousins in free agency. That marked the halfway point of the Zimmer era — and the second half was much worse than the first. The Vikings continued to alternate disappointing seasons at first, struggling in 2018 and bouncing back with a 10-win season and a playoff win in 2019 that may have saved Zimmer's job at the time.
The last two seasons are what did Zimmer in. From 2015 to 2019, his defenses were among the best in the league. In 2020 and 2021, the Vikings were towards the bottom in raw defensive statistics and below average in most advanced measures. Entering both seasons with high expectations, they fell short with mediocre campaigns and missed the postseason in consecutive years for the first time under Zimmer.
The Mike Zimmer era
| Year | Record |
|---|---|
2014 | 7-9 |
2015 | 11-5 (0-1 playoffs) |
2016 | 8-8 |
2017 | 13-3 (1-1) |
2018 | 8-7-1 |
2019 | 10-6 (1-1) |
2020 | 7-9 |
2021 | 8-9 |
“Let’s not go there today," Zimmer said on Sunday when asked a big-picture question about his time in Minnesota. "You want to talk about it tomorrow, then let’s talk about it tomorrow. But this isn’t time to reflect on eight years."
Zimmer had a strong tenure with the Vikings. He had a remarkable run of defensive success, built strong bonds with players, and set a very high floor, never losing double-digit games in a season. But after four years of mediocrity following a season where the Vikings hit their ceiling under Zimmer, the ownership group led by Zygi and Mark Wilf decided it was time to go in a new direction.
For the first time since 2013, someone other than Zimmer will be the Vikings' coach when they next take the field this fall. It should be a very interesting search, as there are tons of intriguing options available ranging from NFL offensive and defensive coordinators to college head coaches. The Vikings will presumably begin interviewing candidates as soon as this week.
Minnesota's head coach position would seem to be a pretty attractive vacancy. They've got a talented roster, a state-of-the-art stadium and training facility, and a passionate fan base. Cap space and the Cousins dilemma at quarterback are potential issues.
Plenty more to come as we reflect on the Zimmer era and look ahead to the future.
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