2024 was a huge year for the Minnesota Vikings. Despite having a roster in transition with a new starting quarterback and a major injury to their top pick in the draft, the team won 14 games and was part of the playoffs.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell deserves a ton of credit for working with quarterback Sam Darnold and keeping the team focused and motivated during the year. His efforts won him the 2024 Coach of the Year award
In most cases, that would lead to a massive increase in respect for Minnesota's head coach. However, not everyone seems to be on board with Kevin O'Connell moving forward and that has been reflected in some recent rankings.
After being the 2024 NFL Coach of the Year, Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings is snubbed in a recent 2025 head coach ranking
On Tuesday, Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus shared an article ranking the returning head coaches ahead of the 2025 NFL season. The list didn't include new head coach hires, which doesn't impact O'Connell's possible inclusion on the list.
Surprisingly, the list of ten head coaches doesn't show the Minnesota Vikings head coach anywhere.
The other coaches on the list are worthy of recognition, but it seems particularly strange not to include the returning Coach of the Year when discussing the best head coaches in the league entering the 2025 NFL season.
One look at the list reveals that past success played a significant role in compiling the list. Coaches like Mike Tomlin of the Steelers and Kevin Stefanski of the Browns are entering challenging situations that could make coaching even more challenging in 2025.
Weirdly enough, the disrespect for Kevin O'Connell isn't new. Rotoballer had him at No. 11 on their 2025 head coach ranking, which was surprising at the time but now seems to be a trend with the NFL media.
The question of what it will take for Kevin O'Connell to earn some more respect must be asked. He is doing amazing things with the Minnesota Vikings, even if it hasn't led to a deep playoff run in recent seasons.
Considering other coaches on the PFF list led teams that missed the playoffs or were one-and-done in the postseason, that can't be what is holding analysts back from ranking Kevin O'Connell higher. Hopefully, he can continue to be a great head coach for the Minnesota Vikings and prove those experts wrong.