Not many head coaches have seen the instant success that Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has had in his young coaching career. While he's starting to rise the ranks, he appears not to be on the level of some of the best coaches in the NFL.
Recently, CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin placed O'Connell ninth in his NFL head coach rankings heading into training camp. There's only one aspect to O'Connell's career that is holding him back from a higher ranking: playoff success.
"The quarterback room has been a carousel in Minnesota, but each signal-caller to come under O'Connell's spell has at least briefly soared to career-high heights.
It's almost easy to forget he's still searching for his first playoff win, because he's done almost everything else right, aligning with a creative defensive mind in Brian Flores and maximizing his playmakers with radiant positivity."
Year 4 is a big one for Kevin O'Connell and the Minnesota Vikings to make leap into the future
Two out of the three seasons O'Connell has been head coach have seen the team win 13 or 14 games in the regular season. The only exception was 2023 when his quarterback, Kirk Cousins, got hurt and the team finished 7-10.
Minnesota has just not been able to put it together in the postseason with losses to the New York Giants in the 2022 NFC Wild Card and the Los Angeles Rams in the 2024 NFC Wild Card. The lack of success in the playoffs has hurt O'Connell.
No one can deny the superb job O'Connell did in riding through the 2024 season with a resurgent Sam Darnold at quarterback and still winning 14 games. The Vikings' offense finished in the top 12 in yards and points last year, while the defense was 16th in yards and fifth in scoring.
O'Connell's biggest challenge this season is getting his young quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, ready to start for the first time in his NFL career. All signs point towards progress being made, but making McCarthy a star in the NFL would be O'Connell's most tremendous success as a head coach.
The predictions for the Vikings in 2025 have been all over the place, from finishing last in the division to making the postseason. One thing everyone knows is that O'Connell's squad will be competitive and in the conversation to make the playoffs once again.