The Minnesota Vikings have been a good team since Kevin O'Connell arrived as the head coach in 2022. It's not surprising that he has won Coach of the Year and been endorsed by the franchise's ownership despite changes at the general manager position.
The NFC North is full of great coaches. It's hard not to look at a division with Kevin O'Connell, Dan Campbell, Ben Johnson, and Matt LaFleur without realizing that all four teams are in good hands when it comes to their head coaches.
Entering the 2026 NFL season, it's hard to know how the division will shake out. All four teams are dangerous and extremely talented, with great coaching on all four franchises; it should be a great battle.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is ranked ahead of Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson in a recent power ranking.
Recently, NFL Spin Zone's Sayre Bedinger shared an article that ranked every head coach in the NFC heading into the 2026 NFL season, and the placement of Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is interesting.
The coaches of the Lions and Packers are the top two in the NFC North. Dan Campbell is at No. 6 while Matt LaFleur is at No. 5. But the coaches at No. 7 and No. 9 are where things get interesting for Vikings fans.
Kevin O'Connell earned the spot at No. 7, while Ben Johnson is in the number nine slot. Here is what
Bedinger had to say about O'Connell:
"O'Connell was the 2024 NFL Coach of the Year after leading the Vikings to 14 wins, but he needs to figure out the QB position once again and get his team to the next level in the postseason."
O'Connell can only work with the talent that the general manager supplies him with. This season, the moves from the front office led to a competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy for the starting quarterback job during the upcoming season.
However, if O'Connell can get results out of Murray or McCarthy, the purple and gold should be on track to make a playoff appearance. Considering all the talent on the roster and the capabilities of defensive coordinator Brian Flores, the sky could be the limit for the Minnesota Vikings. Hopefully, when the NFC head coach rankings are released next year, Kevin O'Connell will rise above at least one more of the other coaches in the division.
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