Kevin O'Connell is More Than Just an Offensive-Minded Head Coach

Former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer took a lot of heat, especially late in his tenure, for being overly focused on one side of the ball.

Zimmer was a defensive guru whose primary concern seemed to be making that side of the ball as successful as possible. He reportedly created a divide between the offense and defense at times, frustrating offensive players during practices by calling defensive plays specifically to shut down what he knew the offense was running. Zimmer wasn't regularly involved in the offense's meetings, yet would publicly criticize his offenses for not running the ball enough.

New Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, who is the anti-Zimmer in so many ways, doesn't want that to happen under his leadership. O'Connell is a former quarterback and an offensive-minded coach, but he plans on being involved with all three phases of the game and having ownership of everything the team does.

It's unlikely that Zimmer was on his mind when he addressed that topic this week, but his comments are quite interesting considering the context of how the previous regime came to an end in Minnesota.

“I think the best coaches I’ve been around, they have a baseline ownership of everything," O'Connell said. "I want to know the [defensive] calls that we’re going to have, I want to know the secondary rotations, the fronts, mechanics of how we'll line up. Selfishly, as you put together an offense and call plays versus that as we compete and try to get better against our own, you obviously want to know those things, but then you want to know when you stand up in front of the team as an offensive-minded head coach, those defensive guys and special teams guys have to know you’re invested in what they’re doing.

"If it’s showing a clip of a great play Harrison [Smith] makes on the back end, and knowing exactly what the call was and, ‘Hey, Harrison here you are in a roy rotation making a great play in this cover 8,’ or whatever it is. The defensive guys will know you know what you’re talking about, and know you’re invested in not only them as a player or as a roster spot, but how it all works. Really, ultimately, that ownership we’re asking them to have, I gotta have as well."

O'Connell has put together a strong defensive staff led by 65-year-old veteran coordinator Ed Donatell. It includes two other former NFL DCs (Mike Pettine and Greg Manusky), as well as position coaches Daronte Jones, Mike Smith, and Chris Rumph. But O'Connell isn't just going to hand things off to that group and focus on the offense. Along with GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, he's been consistent in emphasizing the importance of collaboration across the board. O'Connell's already been involved in working closely with Donatell as they get going in Minnesota.

"I’m really excited to have Ed — the scheme, the person, the teacher," O'Connell said. "Through these first 10-12 days, whatever it’s been, connecting with Ed has been awesome because he has been every bit of what I’ve hoped from a standpoint of a teacher and that schematical advantage we hope to have. Then you meet the person and get in the room with the person and you really start to connect with an incredible human being. I think our defensive players will love Ed."

Same goes for special teams. Matt Daniels and Ben Kotwica will lead things in that phase, but O'Connell will be right there as well.

Only time will tell if O'Connell ends up being a successful head coach, but everything we know about his approach suggests that he'll be a full pivot from Zimmer, which the Vikings seemed to need.

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