Vikings reportedly add a new name to their head coach search

The Minnesota Vikings will reportedly meet with New York Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to possibly be their next head coach.

On Thursday, the Minnesota Vikings officially introduced Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as their general manager. On Friday, the Vikings reportedly made their first move with Adofo-Mensah on their staff by requesting to interview New York Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for their current head coach opening according to multiple reports.

Graham has been with the Giants since 2020 and he also held the title of the team’s assistant head coach. He will be the ninth candidate to interview for Minnesota’s head coaching vacancy.

With Graham leading the way during the 2021 season, New York’s defense ranked 23rd in points allowed and 21st in yards allowed. Those aren’t very inspiring numbers, but the Vikings clearly see something in the 43-year-old Giants assistant.

Does New York Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham have a shot at becoming the next Minnesota Vikings head coach?

Graham has been coaching in the NFL since 2009 when he joined the New England Patriots as a defensive coaching assistant. He remained with the Patriots until 2016 when headed to New York to become the Giants‘ defensive line coach.

Graham then left New York in 2018 to become the linebackers coach and run game coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. He only lasted one season with the Packers as he was hired by the Miami Dolphins in 2019 to be their defensive coordinator.

Graham’s time with the Dolphins didn’t last very long either as he returned to New York in 2020 to accept his current role as the team’s defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.

The Giants’ defense was pretty underwhelming during the 2021 campaign, but in 2020, they ranked ninth in points allowed and 12th in yards allowed. So Graham has had some success when he’s been put in charge of a defense.

Will he end up having a successful meeting with the Vikings in the near future? That is something we all have to wait and find out.