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Candidates for the Vikings' head coach

The Minnesota Vikings found their new general manager in Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, now their focus shifts to finding the next head coach.

MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's Note: The video above originally aired on Jan. 10, 2022.

Now that the Minnesota Vikings have found their new general manager, focus turns to the team's next coach.

The Vikings fired both their head coach and general manager, the team hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the former VP of Football Operations for the Cleveland Browns, and his first task will be to find the team's next head coach.

The Vikings ended the 2021-2022 season with a 8-9 overall record and missed the playoffs for a second-straight year. The day after their final regular-season game, the Vikings dismissed both head coach Mike Zimmer and General Manager Rick Spielman. 

Spielman was with the team for 16 years, the last 10 as general manager, and Zimmer was hired in 2014 and only reached the playoffs three times.

Here's a look at the coaching candidates the Vikings have interviewed so far:

Head Coach Candidates

Patrick Graham

  • Current job: Defensive coordinator/assistant head coach
  • Current team: New York Giants
  • Experience: Has spent 13 seasons as a coach in the NFL, including seven seasons with the New England Patriots. He was hired as a defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins in 2019, and then spent the next two seasons with the Giants.

DeMeco Ryans 

  • Current job: Defensive coordinator
  • Current team: San Francisco 49ers
  • Experience: Five seasons as a coach in the NFL, 10 seasons as an NFL linebacker

Nathaniel Hackett

**HIRED BY DENVER BRONCOS**

  • Current job: Offensive coordinator
  • Current team: Green Bay Packers
  • Experience: Three seasons as offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, 13 total seasons as an NFL coach

Dan Quinn 

  • Current job: Defensive coordinator
  • Current team: Dallas Cowboys
  • Experience: Head Coach of Atlanta Falcons from 2015-2020. Spent 18 years as an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks and Dallas.  

Jonathan Gannon

  • Current job: Defensive coordinator
  • Current team: Philadelphia Eagles
  • Experience: Has worked in the NFL 14 of the last 15 years, including four years as a defensive backs coach for the Vikings from 2014-17. Was hired as the Eagles' defensive coordinator in 2021.


Todd Bowles

  • Current job: Defensive coordinator
  • Current team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Experience: Was the head coach of the New York Jets for four seasons before joining the Buccaneers in 2019.


Raheem Morris

  • Current job: Defensive coordinator
  • Current team: Los Angeles Rams
  • Experience: Has been coaching in the NFL for almost 20 years, including three years as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' head coach. He also filled in as the interim head coach in 2020 for the Atlanta Falcons. Was hired to be the Rams' defensive coordinator in 2021.

Kevin O'Connell

  • Current job: Offensive coordinator
  • Current team: Los Angeles Rams
  • Experience: The former NFL quarterback has been coaching in the league since 2015. Was hired to be the Rams' offensive coordinator in 2020.

A person with knowledge of the process says the Vikings and Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh had an exploratory conversation about their coaching vacancy, according to the Associated Press. Both sides are gauging interest. 

Credit: AP
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh yells during warm ups before the Orange Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game against Georgia, Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla.(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The person spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because the team was not publicizing the interview.

Harbaugh is 61-24 over seven seasons at Michigan. He was 44-19-1 as coach of the San Francisco 49ers and 5-3 in the playoffs, reaching a Super Bowl.

 

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