Minnesota Vikings hire Kevin O'Connell as their head coach

The Minnesota Vikings announced that Kevin O’Connell is their tenth head coach in franchise history.

Kevin O’Connell spent the previous two seasons as offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, so Minnesota had to wait to announce the hiring until after the Super Bowl. O’Connell worked with Kirk Cousins in Washington as a quarterbacks coach, passing game coordinator, and offensive coordinator between 2017 and 2019. However, it’s not clear whether Cousins will return as quarterback for the Vikings.

The Rams’ 372.1 yards per game were the ninth highest in the NFL during the 2021 regular season and their 27.1 points per game were eighth-best. Meanwhile, the Vikings were 14th in points (25 PPG) and 12th in yards (362.8 YPG).

Minnesota finished the season second in the NFC North with an 8-9 record, while the Rams ultimately won the Super Bowl.

Over at FanDuel Sportsbook, the Vikings are +3,300 to win Super Bowl LVII and +1,600 to win the NFC.