Is it too much pressure to expect a head coach to make the team “super competitive?” It depends on the case. But if recent history suggests anything, things won’t be easy for O’Connell.

There have been 32 coaching changes in the NFL since 2017. In their first year on the job, those coaches averaged 6.5 wins. However, seven of them made the playoffs. Having just under a one in four chance to make the playoffs isn’t a good situation, but first-time head coaches have had a higher ceiling than a retread hire.

Six of the seven teams that made the playoffs after a coaching change did so with a first-time head coach. Even better, three of those coaches won division titles, with Sean McVay (2017), Matt Nagy (2018), and Matt LeFleur (2019) experiencing massive growth in their first season.

It’s conceivable that O’Connell could follow in those footsteps. Two years ago, the Vikings ranked fourth in total offense with Gary Kubiak as their offensive coordinator. While the Vikings only ranked 11th in points scored, a lot of that could be chalked up to Mike Zimmer’s old-school philosophy.

Those problems shouldn’t exist with O’Connell. After learning under McVay, O’Connell brings an innovative scheme that Thielen told Pat McAfee “makes sense.” With a majority of that 2020 offense still on the roster, the Vikings could take another step on offense and force teams to keep up.

But there are different issues on defense. The core of Zimmer’s defense remains on the roster, and nobody has signed Anthony Barr yet. While this group ranked fifth in points allowed in 2019, several players are at or near age 30. Signing Za’Darius Smith added another player to that list of thirtysomethings, so this team could see critical players become less productive.

There is also an element to the coaching change that we don’t see. Zimmer lost control of the locker room, and the players turned their back on him and threw him under the bus once he was gone. An epic PowerPoint presentation saying it wasn’t his fault probably wasn’t Zimmer’s best coaching method, but there were reasons why he was upset.

Perhaps Zimmer was angered by the fact his job was always on the line after reaching the NFC Championship in 2017. Maybe he was bitter because the Vikings chose to pay Cousins over keeping his defense together. Or perhaps it was every man for himself during the final season.

The 2021 Vikings were not a cohesive unit. From their low vaccination rate to Bashaud Breeland calling out fans and reporters, they had a crabbiness that not even Bill Belichick could fix. Even if the scheme was perfect, Zimmer needed these players to buy in. Instead, he got a group of players who were willing to turn their backs when things went wrong.

Kris Boyd commended the new staff on Patrick Peterson‘s podcast, saying they were willing to shrug off a mistake. That may be true during OTAs, but what happens when he commits a 15-yard penalty during a game?

For a team that had nine games decided on the final play, a couple more losses could bring back that here we go again feeling. That puts the spotlight on O’Connell, whose previous experience has only been as an offensive coordinator. It’s a spot where O’Connell may have a disadvantage compared to Zimmer, who’s been a head coach or coordinator for 22 years. Zimmer could get the best out of his team – even if he didn’t say hello in the hallway.

He walked into an absolute mess in Minnesota and walked out with a pair of division titles and the third-best winning percentage in franchise history. Denny Green and Bud Grant are elite company to be in, and that’s exactly what O’Connell is chasing from the moment he walks into TCO Performance Center.

It’s not inconceivable for O’Connell to achieve success from Day 1. But it’s certainly a lot to ask for a team with many issues.

Kevin O’Connell is the 10th head coach in Minnesota Vikings history, and the expectation is that he can run it back with some familiar faces and get better results. The 37-year-old coach inherits a roster filled with talent. However, they still need to address some glaring holes.

First-year coaches aren’t usually expected to turn a team around in their debut season. Everyone in the league wants to win immediately, but that isn’t always feasible when a new head coach takes over. New regimes will get rid of old contracts and players that don’t fit their scheme, ramping up to be contenders in Years 2 and 3.

Most head coaches come in after the previous regime bottomed out. But the Vikings went 7-9 and 8-9 in the last two seasons under Mike Zimmer, so that isn’t the case with this coaching change.

Still, Minnesota’s sub-.500 records were so frustrating in the past two years because of the talent on their roster. Zimmer left behind a stacked offense that includes Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, and Adam Thielen. Tight end Irv Smith, Jr. is returning from a meniscus tear, and Kirk Cousins is a solid quarterback who can run an explosive offense. The Vikings also have two young tackles, Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill, who hopefully will form one of the league’s best tandems.

On defense, defensive end Danielle Hunter returns after two frustrating seasons that ended prematurely with injury. Eric Kendricks has become one of the best standup linebackers in football. And the secondary returns two of the best players at their positions in the past decade: cornerback Patrick Peterson and safety Harrison Smith.

Does this mean O’Connell is inheriting the best roster of any first-year Vikings head coach? Today we’ll look back at the best rosters other coaches inherited.