Viking fans shouldn’t have needed a reminder to be thankful for Mike Zimmer, but just in case they did, yesterday’s chaos provided it.
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Black Monday certainly lived up to its ominous name this year, as three head coaches and two general managers got the axe.
Watching Marc Trestman, Rex Ryan and Mike Smith all get sent packing within a few minutes of each other should have made Viking fans feel very thankful for Zimmer and the stability his hiring has brought to the team.
After just one season, there is little doubt that the Vikings made the right call by firing Leslie Frazier and bringing in Zimmer.
Despite a season of off-field turmoil and on-field inconsistency, Zimmer steered a steady course in leading the Vikings to a surprising 7-9 record.
While other organizations scramble to find new leadership, the Vikings and their fans can sit back and relax knowing that they have found the right man to lead the team on the field.
It was a different story for the Vikings last year at this time. Uncertainty reigned in Minnesota after a dismal season under the wishy-washy Leslie Frazier. What the Vikings needed more than anything else was a decisive coach who would work to build a winning culture.
Rick Spielman and the front office made the right call in bringing in Zimmer, who has completely changed the vibe around the team.
The Leslie Frazier atmosphere of tentativeness and uncertainty is gone. The Zimmer-led Vikings may not always win, but when they lose you at least have the feeling that the problems will get fixed.
You’re not always going to make the right decision as coach, but you at least need a sound thought process and a willingness to make the tough calls. Under Frazier, it seemed like you had neither.
Zimmer has brought a tough-mindedness to the coaching position that seemed completely absent under the previous regime.
A year after the Vikings’ own days of turmoil and uncertainty, we can be thankful that we’re not like the poor teams left searching for leadership headed into 2015.
2014 may not have brought as many wins as fans wanted, but at least we know we’re headed in the right direction.