6 head coach candidates with a connection to the new Vikings GM

Nathaniel Hackett

• Current Position:
  • Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator
• Connection to Adofo-Mensah:
  • Reportedly have a “good relationship”

According to the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling, Nathaniel Hackett and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have a “good relationship.” It’s unclear how this relationship came about, but both do have a connection to Stanford as Adofo-Mensah earned a master’s degree from the university and Hackett was on the school’s coaching staff from 2003 to 2005.

Hackett was the first candidate the Vikings interviewed for their head coach vacancy and he’s also met with other teams about their head-coaching jobs earlier this month. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Minnesota bring him in for a second interview if he doesn’t end up getting a job somewhere else first.

*(Update: Apparently this connection wasn’t very strong as Hackett is reportedly set to become the next head coach of the Denver Broncos according to multiple reports.)

Kevin O’Connell

• Current Position:
  • Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator
• Connection to Adofo-Mensah:
  • San Francisco 49ers special projects coach (2016)

Along with Hackett and DeMeco Ryans, Kevin O’Connell is someone that has already interviewed with the Vikings to be their next head coach.

O’Connell comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree, and judging by the recent success of Matt LeFleur with the Green Bay Packers and Zac Taylor with the Cincinnati Bengals, bringing in the current Rams offensive coordinator for a second interview, at the very least, would probably be a good decision for Minnesota to make.