Minnesota Vikings lose strength and conditioning coach to USTA
By Adam Carlson
The Minnesota Vikings will need to find a new strength and conditioning coach for 2017 after losing Brent Salazar to the U.S. Tennis Association.
Earlier this year, the Minnesota Vikings hired Brent Salazar to be their new strength and conditioning coach. However, now the team will need to search once again to fill the position for the 2017 season.
Salazar has reportedly accepted a position with the U.S. Tennis Association, forcing the team to once again go on the search for a new strength and conditioning coach, which could be a challenge this late in the offseason.
The transaction was noted by Scout.com’s Viking Update as well as ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter, who passed along the information in the following tweet:
Vikings strength & conditioning coach Brent Salazar has accepted a job with the USTA. Comes from a tennis background. Unique opportunity.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) June 19, 2017
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Considering how the Vikings struggled with injuries during the previous two seasons, it is imperative for the team to find a coach who can work with the players to decrease the number and severity of ailments over the course of a season.
However, it is difficult to blame Salazar for moving on to the USTA. His background in tennis makes this a field of expertise for him and may be exactly the kind of long-term career he was looking for.
For now, this leaves Derik Keyes and Chaz Mahle as the assistant strength and conditioning coaches as listed on the official website of the team. Right now, it is unknown whether the team will look for an outside hire or if one of those individuals will be promoted.
Next: Vikings 2017 schedule breakdown
Hopefully, the Minnesota Vikings can get their situation with their coaching staff figured out quickly. With OTAs over and the team preparing for training camp, this is one of the most important times for preparing the team for the regular season.