Rams OC Kevin O'Connell Finalizes Contract to Become Vikings Head Coach
The last remaining head coach opening in the NFL has been filled.
The Minnesota Vikings announced Wednesday that Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell has been hired as the 10th head coach in franchise history.
O'Connell and the Rams are coming off a victory in Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The Vikings were unable to officially announce that they were hiring O'Connell until after Los Angeles' playoff run came to an end.
A former NFL quarterback who was a career backup, O'Connell has been the Rams' offensive coordinator for the past two seasons. He also held the same position for Washington in 2019 after serving as the team's passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
O'Connell is the latest in Sean McVay's coaching tree to land a head coaching job, following the likes of Matt LaFleur with the Green Bay Packers and Zac Taylor with the Bengals. He's McVay's second coordinator in two years to move on, joining former Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who is now head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the Vikings plan on interviewing Rams assistant head coach/running backs coach Thomas Brown for their offensive coordinator position under O'Connell. Pelissero noted that Brown, who interviewed for the Miami Dolphins head coaching position, is considered a "rising assistant" and is a candidate to replace O'Connell in Los Angeles.
