The Minnesota Vikings announced on Saturday that Clancy Barone and Andrew Janocko have been named the team’s co-offensive line coaches.
Due to the timing of Tony Sparano’s recent passing, the Minnesota Vikings knew they needed to make a quick decision when finding his replacement on the coaching staff this year. On Saturday, the Vikings revealed exactly what the team is doing to fill the void left by Sparano’s passing.
Minnesota has announced that Clancy Barone and Andrew Janocko will be co-offensive line coaches for the 2018 season. Previously, Barone was the Vikings’ tight ends coach and Janocko was the team’s assistant offensive line coach.
In addition to this move, Minnesota has also decided to have Todd Downing take over Barone’s old role and coach the team’s tight ends in 2018. Prior to Sparano’s passing, Downing was on the Vikings’ staff as a senior offensive assistant.
Minnesota Vikings
For Barone, this is not his first time as an offensive line coach in the NFL. In 2010, 2015, and 2016, he was the offensive line coach for the Denver Broncos. He also spent a number of years coaching the position group at the college level prior to landing in the NFL.
Janocko, referred to by Mike Zimmer on Saturday as, “Tony’s right-hand man,” spent last season in Minnesota working with Sparano as the team’s assistant offensive line coach. His new role should allow the Vikings’ blockers to continue along and not have to learn any new schemes for this season.
Zimmer commented after Minnesota’s walk-thru on Saturday that it was important to continue using Sparano’s tactics and methods this year regardless of who they selected as his replacement.
It was anticipated by many that the Vikings would promote from within to fill their unexpected vacancy on the coaching staff. And that’s exactly what they did.