Vikings extend head coach Kevin O’Connell

Vikings extend head coach Kevin O’Connell

The Minnesota Vikings have re-signed head coach Kevin O’Connell to a multi-year extension, team beat writer Alec Lewis of The Athletic first reported Tuesday.

The #Vikings have agreed to terms on a multi-year extension with HC Kevin O'Connell.

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) January 21, 2025

O’Connell, 39, was entering the last year of his current deal. Now, that’s no more.

He was hired ahead of the 2022 season after the organization parted ways with head coach Mike Zimmer. O’Connell ultimately became the first head coach in franchise history to win 13-plus games in at least two of his first three seasons. He won 13 games in 2022 followed by a completely unexpected 14-win season in 2024.

The Vikings’ 14-win season was the first time the franchise reached that benchmark since 1998, their only other season with 14-plus wins.

In three seasons, O’Connell is 34-17 (.667), the fourth-highest active winning percentage among head coaches who have coached at least 50 games. The only thing missing from O’Connell’s trek is a postseason win. In his two postseason appearances manning the sideline, the Vikings have lost 31-24 to the New York Giants and 27-9 to the Los Angeles Rams.

There Is Only One Answer On How The Vikings Should Proceed With Sam Darnold

Not to mention, O’Connell’s been a quarterback whisperer. Kirk Cousins was playing the best football of his career under O’Connell’s guidance; so did Sam Darnold, who revitalized his career in 2024 before a pair of unfortunate games to close the season. Even though Darnold could very easily be franchise-tagged, the future looks to JJ McCarthy, whose rookie season was lost to a torn meniscus.

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This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates.

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