Vikings Assistant Kirby Wilson Will Interview for Jaguars OC Job

Last year the Vikings lost a pair of running backs to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and this year they could lose their running backs coach.

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Per ESPN, Vikings RB coach Kirby Wilson is set to interview with Jacksonville about their vacant offensive coordinator position. Jacksonville canned OC Jedd Fisch after a 3-13 season.

If Wilson gets the job he will take over running an offense that last year featured former Viking backs Toby Gerhart and Jordan Todman.

With Gerhart and Todman in the mix, and rookie QB Blake Bortles mostly running the show, the Jaguars ranked 31st in total yards, 31st in passing yards and dead-last in points.

So whoever takes that OC job is going to have his work cut out for him.

Speaking of having your work cut out for you…that was certainly the case for Wilson this year in Minnesota.

In his first year under Norv Turner, Wilson saw his #1 running back Adrian Peterson get suspended for the entire season. He also had to develop a rookie in Jerick McKinnon while helping squeeze production out of the less-than-explosive Matt Asiata.

As the season wore on and the personnel issues piled up, the Vikings wound up handing the ball to people like Ben Tate and Joe Banyard. Jerome Felton even got a few carries, that’s how bad things became.

Through all the challenges, the Vikings’ backs where able to average 112 yards-per-game, good for 14th in the NFL.

How much of that unexpectedly solid production can be attributed to Kirby Wilson’s coaching is something that’s hard to pin down. But there’s no doubt Wilson has a great reputation around the league.

Before taking the job with the Vikings this past year, Wilson was actually up for the OC job in Baltimore. Before that he spent several years coaching running backs in Pittsburgh.

Wilson has some pretty big-name competition for the Jaguars job, with Marc Trestman and Greg Roman also rumored to be in the mix.