New Vikings Head Coach Zimmer Has A Softer Side
By Adam Carlson
Jan 5, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer before the AFC wild card playoff game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
I think most Vikings fans have seen Hard Knocks, or at least the YouTube clips of new Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer’s aggressive sideline behavior and tough demeanor. Recently, the Saint Paul Pioneer Press did some digging on the new head coach and found out some pretty interesting and fun things about Zimmer.
"“We have pictures!” Zimmer’s daughter Marki said of a pedicure that he had prior to his trip to Minnesota. “I would say he’s more of a softie. Especially around his family. He was always brought up to never cuss around women. Until ‘Hard Knocks’ I’d never really heard him say a cuss word. The first episode that I saw I turned to my mom and I was like, ‘Daddy has a potty mouth!’ She went running for the channel-changer.”"
Zimmer met his girlfriend, Tina Glass, at a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis research. She has always supported Zimmer and is excited about seeing him in his new head coaching role.
"Nov 10, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Cincinnati Bengals coach Mike Zimmer prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M“It’s one of those things where we’ve dated for the last few years and I’ve always been waiting for him to get a head coaching job,” Glass said. “And it was difficult to know he was going to leave Cincinnati. But this is what he was meant to do. I’d say he’s a genius. He’ll do wonderful things here. He takes veteran players, rookie players, troubled players, and he’s able to get them to perform. He knows what he’s doing. He’s going to be a great fit here. It’s perfect.”"
He may be a hard nosed coach on the field, but his when you see things through the eyes of his loved ones, you see a caring and compassionate man. It is good to see the Vikings have a head coach who knows when to be tough and when to soften things up a bit. Zimmer will need to balance those skills to handle the personalities and issues on this Minnesota Vikings sqaud.
"“I’m going to be passionate on the field because that’s who I am. That’s why they hired me, to be passionate,” Zimmer said."