Vikings Assistant Coach Heads to Clemson
The Minnesota Vikings have been without defensive line coach Chris Rumph for nearly 1.5 months because of a personal leave of absence.
On Monday, the Vikings assistant coach was reported to have signed a deal with the Clemson Tigers for 2024, and he will join Dabo Swinney’s staff next season.
Vikings Assistant Coach Heads to Clemson
ESPN reported Monday, “Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has hired two new assistant coaches to replace the pair he let go last week. Matt Luke will take over as the offensive line coach and Chris Rumph will handle defensive ends. They replace offensive line coach Thomas Austin and defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall, who were fired Thursday.”
During the month of October, Rumph departed the team for unknown reasons and hasn’t returned since. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote at the time, “O’Connell declined to get into specifics about either coach, other than to confirm the reason for their absences is personal. There is no timetable for either to return.”
The Vikings hired Rumph as one of the first moves under Kevin O’Connell nearly two years ago, and he has been with the team ever since. The former Vikings coach also has a son playing at the NFL level, Chris Rumph II, who is a linebacker with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Rumph has spent 21 seasons coaching either at the NCAA or NFL levels, and this is a familiar spot for the former Vikings coach. He held this same position from 2006-2010 before going to Alabama in 2011 where he won a pair of national championships with Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa.
Rumph had this to say on his return to Clemson: “For me, this is coming home,” Rumph said. “Clemson is a great fit for me and my family in terms of the town and the quality of the people. The passion of the fan base is second-to-none… Clemson is a program that has won consistently and won at the highest levels under Coach Swinney. I am excited to do my part to return the program where it aspires to be and once again have Clemson in the College Football Playoff and competing for national championships year in and year out.“
Clemson finished the 2023 regular season with an 8-4 record and are set to play against the Kentucky Wildcats in the Gator Bowl on December 29th.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
