Vikings reportedly adding a former Pro Bowl WR to their coaching staff
By Adam Patrick
Despite the Minnesota Vikings needing to find their sixth offensive coordinator since 2014 this year, there aren’t expected to be many changes to the team’s coaching staff before the 2021 season.
Many have assumed the Vikings are going to fill most of their current coaching vacancies with guys that are already on their staff. This seemed to become a little more believable on Thursday following the report of a new addition to Minnesota’s coaching staff.
According to The Florida Times-Union’s Gene Frenette, former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell will be taking the same role on the Vikings staff this year.
Minnesota Vikings coaching staff taking shape for 2021
Despite the hiring of McCardell, Minnesota’s wide receivers coach from last season, Andrew Janocko, isn’t expected to be done with the team.
Instead, some are thinking that he will shift over and become the Vikings’ new quarterbacks coach if the team promotes Klint Kubiak from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator.
As far as McCardell goes, he’s a former Pro Bowl NFL receiver who has spent the last decade as a wide receivers coach at both the college and pro levels. He led the Jaguars receivers from 2017 to this past season and he was able to get the most out of guys like Dede Westbrook, DJ Chark, Keelan Cole, and Laviska Shenault.
Interestingly enough, McCardell was actually the wide receivers coach for the University of Maryland when former Minnesota pass-catcher Stefon Diggs was at the school in 2014. Now he gets to coach Diggs’ replacement on the Vikings’ roster, Justin Jefferson.
In addition to the hiring of McCardell, Minnesota is also reportedly promoting longtime assistant coach Ryan Ficken to be their new special teams coordinator according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero and they are expected to hire former Philadelphia Eagles strength and conditioning coach Josh Hingst according to the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling.
The Vikings still need to find a new offensive coordinator and a new defensive backs coach for 2021. Don’t expect it to take too much longer for these openings to be filled.