Minnesota Vikings All-Time Coaching Staff


Feb 11, 2023 15:48:31 GMT -6 0 Replies
Last week’s hiring of Brian Flores to be the team’s next defensive coordinator got me thinking about all of the coaches in Minnesota Vikings franchise history. From those thoughts, I couldn't stop myself from piecing together an All-Time Minnesota Vikings Coaching Staff.

Minnesota Vikings All - Time Coaching Staff

Head Coach
Bud Grant

The first coach to challenge Bud Grant for the franchise’s all-time head coach spot will be the first one to guide the Vikings to a Super Bowl title. Hopefully, that head coach is currently employed by the team. That’d mean that we are real close to that glorious day.

Offense

Offensive Coordinator
Jerry Burns

Jerry Burns crafted Super Bowl offenses led by quarterbacks as opposite as Joe Kapp and Fran Tarkenton. His wonderful press conferences are a bonus.

Quarterbacks
Norm Van Brocklin

Despite clear differences in ideas and temperament, Fran Tarkenton always raved about Norm Van Brocklin’s expertise of the NFL passing game. He was tough and volatile but Van Brocklin could coach the quarterback position.

Running Backs
Eric Bienemy

Receivers
Chip Myers

Tight Ends
Brian Billick

Offensive Line
John Michels

John Michels coached Hall of Famers Ron Yary, Mick Tingelhoff, Randall McDaniel, and Gary Zimmerman. As well as Grady Alderman, Ed White, Tim Irwin, Kirk Lowdermilk, etc.

Assistant Offensive Line
Mike Tice

Defense

Defensive Coordinator
Mike Zimmer

Defensive Line
Buddy Ryan

Assistant Defensive Line
Andre Patterson

Linebackers
Monte Kiffin

Defensive Backs
Tony Dungy

Assistant Defensive Backs
Pete Carroll

Special Teams

Special Teams Coordinator
Bud Grant

Assistant Special Teams
Gary Zauner

I tried to place each of the coaches in positions that they held with the Vikings. Mike Zimmer didn't hold the title of defensive coordinator but there's no doubt that he coordinated the defense as the head coach. I also demoted the Vikings first head coach to quarterback coach. Norm Van Brocklin never spent a day as an assistant coach. He went straight from NFL MVP to head coach of an expansion team. Fran Tarkenton said that Van Brocklin had a brilliant mind for offensive football. That's good enough for me. Perhaps he'd be better suited as the team's offensive coordinator but I really want Jerry Burns in that position. The emotional range of Van Brocklin and Burns together would be a riot to see. Tony Dungy coordinated the defense for Dennis Green. He was never the Vikings defensive back coach but he gets that job for this team. Picking a special teams coordinator was an issue. The Vikings' special teams during their Super Bowl years were factors in so many games. I've never seen a team block as many kicks and punts as those teams did. I wanted the special teams coach of those teams to be the All-Time coordinator. The problem is that no Vikings coach had that specific title. Entire NFL coaching staffs of that era could fit into the office of one of today’s head coaches. Assistant coaches often had to work with more than a single position group. Bud Grant stressed the importance of special teams. Because the special teams of his teams were so damn special he gets to be the head coach and coordinate the special teams. It’s a toss-up between Gary Zauner and Mike Priefer to assist him. Hopefully, Matt Daniels develops into the coach that makes any all-time special teams coordinator debates silly. 

From a Vikings perspective, I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing that former assistants Pete Carroll, Tony Dungy, Brian Billick, and Mike Tomlin went on to be Super Bowl-winning head coaches for other teams. Buddy Ryan wasn't the head coach of a Super Bowl-winning team but he played a significant role in winning one as a defensive coordinator.

I wanted to pick Keenan McCardell as the team’s all-time receivers coach. He’s an outstanding receivers coach. Instead, I went with Chip Myers. The Vikings offensive explosion in 1998 propelled Brian Billick into a head coach opportunity with the Baltimore Ravens. Myers coached the receivers from 1994-97 and quarterbacks in 1998. His work with the receivers and juggling of Brad Johnson and Randall Cunningham during the explosive 1998 season made him an easy choice to replace Billick as the Vikings offensive coordinator. About a month after being promoted, Myers died suddenly at the age of 53 of a heart attack. In a sad case of what might have been, I've often wondered what a Chip Myers-led Vikings offense might have looked like. Playmakers like Randy Moss, Cris Carter, Jake Reed, and Robert Smith can make coaching look easy. I thought that the Vikings offense could build on what they did in 1998. Instead, that was their peak. The sad, sudden loss of Myers left a hole on the coaching staff that Dennis Green never could fill.

There weren't enough positions on this coaching staff for all of the terrific coaches that have impacted the Vikings franchise. Here are a few of the former Vikings coaches that deserve mention:

Jack Patera
Neil Armstrong
Bus Mertes
Floyd Peters
John Teerlinck
Paul Wiggin
Mike Tomlin

Minnesota Vikings All-Time Coaching Staff

Shoutbox

Purple Pain: I'll have the Pick 6 thread up tonight for Wild Card Weekend! Jan 10, 2024 12:08:58 GMT -6
Purple Pain: Pick 6 Playoffs Edition for Wild Card Weekend is up: purplepainforums.com/thread/7532/pick-playoffs-edition-wild-weekend Jan 11, 2024 1:30:16 GMT -6
Purple Pain: Pick 6 Playoffs Edition for the Divisional Round: purplepainforums.com/thread/7549/pick-playoffs-edition-divisional-round Jan 17, 2024 23:09:56 GMT -6
beckmt: Where are the totals for the wild card weekend. Jan 18, 2024 20:49:24 GMT -6
Purple Pain: Pick 6 Playoffs Edition for Championship Weekend: purplepainforums.com/thread/7572/pick-playoffs-edition-championship-weekend Jan 25, 2024 11:02:04 GMT -6
Purple Pain: Pick 6 Playoffs Edition for the Super Bowl is up: purplepainforums.com/thread/7585/pick-playoffs-edition-super-lviii Jan 31, 2024 11:33:55 GMT -6
salamander: Not feeling good unless we can find a QB. Haven't had a great one in a looooooong time. Feb 22, 2024 13:43:06 GMT -6
Reignman: March 11th, 2024 will live in history as Kirk Cousins Independence Day *cheerleader* Mar 11, 2024 16:34:20 GMT -6
salbrecht: Why can Pittsburg sign Russel Wilson fo 1.2 million and we get Sam Darnold for 10 million?? Mar 13, 2024 18:31:25 GMT -6
Reignman: when you put it like that, it's a real head scratcher, but this franchise is all about their precious culture, so I imagine they passed on a guy like Russ over something silly like that ... Darnold will have a big smile when he's throwing all the INT's Mar 14, 2024 17:44:47 GMT -6
shandman: If I am NE, I seriously consider getting Justin Fields and roll with Fields/Brisset this year.

For Vikings to actually pull this off they probably have to trade #11, #23 and 2025 first rounder. In return, they hopefully get #3 overall this year and NE's
Mar 15, 2024 19:29:01 GMT -6
glenwo2: Saying that Darnold will have a big smile when he's throwing all the INT's is quite the Take, Reignman. Mar 16, 2024 20:17:05 GMT -6
Nemesis: Good grief....first I hear....and then I hear...I think I better go back to being gone. *woot* ??? Mar 22, 2024 15:24:17 GMT -6
Norseman: You were gone? Mar 22, 2024 22:30:40 GMT -6
Nemesis: I'm a long gone daddy www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtpe6_2nCts Mar 23, 2024 9:39:00 GMT -6
glenwo2: Norseman is Nemesis' Daddy! You heard it here first, folks. Mar 25, 2024 12:26:17 GMT -6
glenwo2: I'm kidding of course, Nemesis. :) Mar 25, 2024 12:27:05 GMT -6
Norseman: How do you know that it isn't true? Mar 25, 2024 14:28:23 GMT -6
glenwo2: Because Nemesis is the Mod and I'm just a punk rookie acting like a goofball. Mar 25, 2024 16:57:35 GMT -6
Nemesis: Plus glenwo2 is probably my dad, he just likes messing with me from the beyond. Mar 26, 2024 17:13:40 GMT -6
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