How the arranged marriage between new Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray and head coach Kevin O'Connell pans out remains to be seen. Nevertheless, their success together (or lack thereof) may very well hinge on one crucial connection: Frank Smith.
The Vikings hired Smith as their assistant head coach in January after he spent the past four seasons as the Miami Dolphins' offensive coordinator. His time in South Beach working under now-Los Angeles Chargers play-caller Mike McDaniel could quietly prove to be the glue that holds Murray and O'Connell together. Don't just hear it from us, though; Alec Lewis of The Athletic discussed the dynamic in Minnesota in a recent mailbag article ($).
"An offensive line coach by trade, Smith brings a deep understanding of the run game," Lewis wrote. "At his last stop, the Dolphins took a more shotgun-style quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa and married those pass concepts with run designs originally intended for an under-center system.
"When O'Connell bridges some of the Vikings' greatest hits with Murray's strengths, he will defer to Smith's history. Smith will also streamline some of the Vikings' run strategies to establish a clear identity."
Minnesota Vikings assistant head coach Frank Smith could be the linchpin between Kevin O'Connell and Kyler Murray
Many have wondered how Murray will look in the Vikings' offense. He's not like the players who have typically been at the controls for O'Connell, and that's where Smith comes in.
Ex-Dolphins passer Tua Tagovailoa's limitations forced the club to think outside the box, so they did. Smith helped foster a "creative and adaptable" scheme that was "built on speed" in Miami, as Lewis highlighted.
We saw the Dolphins blend different philosophies to maximize Tagovailoa. He was in the gun or pistol formation often, which isn't how O'Connell likes to operate. Yet, Miami found ways to incorporate a more traditional approach to the rushing attack, with Smith as a catalyst for the innovation.
Moreover, Miami boasted one of the most efficient and productive ground games in the NFL during Smith's stint. They finished tied for fourth in yards per attempt (4.7) in 2025 despite ranking 29th in ESPN's run block win rate (70 percent). That certainly bodes well for the dual-threat Murray, who can make plays with his arms and legs.
Even though Murray's fit with Minnesota is an open question, there's optimism about his arrival — both internally and externally. He's among the favorites to win Comeback Player of the Year this season, and Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman has praised the two-time Pro Bowler's comradeship.
Murray is currently set to "compete" with J.J. McCarthy for Minnesota's starting signal-caller job, but we all know how this goes. The position battle is merely a formality, with the former figuring to get the first crack at leading the charge.
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