Why do you think Zimmer is a good HC?

It's April 15, the beginning of the Minnesota Vikings' offseason workout program, and Mike Zimmer is pissed off.

Entering TCO Performance Center for the first time after leaving defeated and drained last December, All-Pro safety Harrison Smith remembers the feeling of an in-season Monday.

But four months had passed since the Vikings' lackluster showing against the Chicago Bears in the 2018 finale knocked them out of playoff contention. Zimmer was extremely eager to get back to work and didn't waste any time addressing all they needed to correct.

"It was like he held onto it from the last game, and it was like waiting for our next meeting to start months later," Smith said. "That's just how he's wired.

"You get back and you're saying what's up to everybody and you're happy to be back, and then you jump in and it's like, 'OK, this is where we left off.' [It] just set the tone for the offseason."

The highs Zimmer experienced leading the Vikings to one game short of the Super Bowl in 2017 bottomed out when Minnesota crashed and burned in a season during which many anticipated it would get over the hump after signing quarterback Kirk Cousins and spending millions on the NFL's reigning No. 1 defense. Then there were the rumors about Zimmer's own future and the possibility that he was going to quit, which drove him nuts.

"It's always ... a year ago, I was the greatest coach ever and then last year I was the s----iest coach ever," said the 63-year-old Zimmer, who ranks fourth in Vikings history with 47 wins. "I get it. It's what have you done for me lately? But I always kind of try to look at the overall track record."

But none of that matters if the Vikings don't glue back together the pieces from a lost season and come out stronger in 2019. Zimmer knows that. He lives it.

And that is what's driving him to get it right or go down with the ship.

Zimmer also overhauled his offensive staff after 2018. He brought in Gary Kubiak as an assistant head coach/offensive advisor and tasked offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski with running his system.

He wanted to develop a scheme better suited to Cousins' strengths while also creating balance with the run game that was lacking last season. And even with salary-cap restrictions, the front office made it possible to keep the players Zimmer wanted, such as Barr, defensive end Everson Griffen and tight end Kyle Rudolph.

"He is not going to fail," Barr said. "In my opinion, we're not going to fail. I can say every time we've had a barrier, we've always bounced back."

"I feel like people believe it's an easy road if you have a good team. It is not. Because the league wants parity, all these teams are good, any of the quarterbacks can beat anybody on a given day ..."

Zimmer felt the weight of the expectations on the Vikings last season, but none wore heavier than failing to meet the ones he had for himself and his team.

"I think the amount of pressure he puts on himself for every game is nothing compared to the outside pressure, because every game he goes into the game so nervous, so much pressure to call the defense, make the right time-out calls, whatever adjustment. The pressure he puts on himself is plenty," Adam Zimmer said. "All this outside noise pales in comparison."

"This year I feel like I guess I've got the itch, because when people are saying things about you that you don't believe are true, you want to prove them wrong," Zimmer said. "I want to prove some people wrong."