Vikings Hire New Defensive Line Coach, Update Mike Pettine's Job Title
The Vikings have hired Marcus Dixon as their new defensive line coach for the 2024 season. He replaces Chris Rumph, who held the job for the last two seasons. Rumph took a leave of absence last season and then recently accepted a job as Clemson's defensive ends coach.
Dixon, 39, has been the Broncos' DL coach for the last two seasons. Before that, he was an assistant DL coach on the Super Bowl-winning 2021 Rams, working on the same staff as Kevin O'Connell, Wes Phillips, and other current Vikings coaches. Dixon, who began his coaching career at his alma mater Hampton University, went undrafted in 2008 and played DE in 22 games with the Jets from 2010-12 (where he was teammates with O'Connell).
This offseason, the Vikings will undoubtedly add to a defensive tackle room that consists of Harrison Phillips, Dean Lowry, Khyiris Tonga, and Jaquelin Roy. Jonathan Bullard, Sheldon Day, and James Lynch are unrestricted free agents.
The Vikings have also added "outside linebackers coach" to assistant head coach Mike Pettine's job title. That signifies that former OLB coach Mike Smith, who took a leave of absence for the entirety of the 2023 season, will not be back.
Pettine, 57, has over 30 years of coaching experience and is entering his third year on O'Connell's staff. He coached OLBs with the Ravens from 2005-08 before spending four years as the Jets' defensive coordinator and one as the Bills' DC. He was then the Browns' head coach for two seasons (2014-15) and was later the Packers' DC from 2018-20.
It'll be interesting to see what the Vikings' OLB room looks like in 2024. Danielle Hunter, D.J. Wonnum, and Marcus Davenport are all free agents, leaving Pat Jones II and Andre Carter II as the only players at that position currently under contract.
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