Jim Harbaugh, Kevin O’Connell, and The 2022 Minnesota Vikings Season

Dec 31, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh reacts from the sideline during the second half in the Orange Bowl college football CFP national semifinal game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports

For a little while, it looked like Jim Harbaugh might become the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. Instead, the team hired Kevin O’Connell, the young OC who just helped the Rams win the Super Bowl. The slow part of the offseason is officially behind us, and that has me wondering about how the most meaningful portion of the Vikings offseason will work out. Was it the right move to hire Kevin O’Connell instead of Jim Harbaugh?

Take a look at the report from Will Ragatz of SI about the momentum for Harbaugh in early February. It looked like Harbaugh would be the hire:

Various insiders close to the Michigan program were reporting that Harbaugh was going into this interview prepared to accept the Vikings’ offer and believing the job was his. New Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who overlapped with Harbaugh for two years in the 49ers organization, apparently wanted him to be the hire. The hurdle to clear was getting Vikings ownership and other executives in the search committee on board, but it didn’t seem like that was going to be an issue.

Ragatz goes on to note that the interview began at 8:00 a.m. but it was at 6:24 p.m. when “Adam Schefter dropped the bomb” that Harbaugh was going back to Michigan. Apparently, the team didn’t offer Harbaugh a deal:

the Vikings never made Harbaugh an offer. We don’t know for sure whether that means the Vikings weren’t convinced hiring him was a good idea or if Harbaugh changed his mind about wanting the job, but it’s an important detail. The job was never offered.

Kevin O’Connell is now the man in charge after Jim Harbaugh returned to Michigan. No one actually knows if this was the right decision; the future hasn’t arrived yet, so we’ll need to wait and see. A notable difference between the two coaches, of course, is that Harbaugh has proven he can win in the NFL. O’Connell still needs to do so. If the team falters, then blame will certainly be directed toward the rookie head coach. Some will wonder if things would have been different with a different HC.

Minnesota is looking to compete in 2022. There is enough talent on the roster to push for the division even though they’re underdogs. O’Connell will need to push his offense to the next level while helping the defense bounce back from two straight poor years. If he can do those things, O’Connell will be be able to undermine lingering doubts that the team ought to have opted for Harbaugh.


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