Vikings Lose Another Assistant Coach
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings had lost five coaches this offseason from their staff following their parting ways with Greg Manusky earlier in the week. Now, as of Thursday morning, it appears that the number may be up to six as the Vikings lose another assistant coach in Sam Siefkes.
As reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Vikings assistant LBs coach will be joining the Arizona Cardinals under new head coach Jonathan Gannon.
Prior to taking the head coaching job in Arizona, Gannon was the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, leading a stout defense that helped Philly earn a berth to the Super Bowl this past season. In the aftermath, he became a lead candidate for the head coaching position in Arizona and got the job.
Even before that, though, Gannon had spent the 2014-17 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings as an assistant defensive backs coach. This is the “Minnesota connection” that Pelissero refers to in his tweet.
Siefkes spent two seasons with the Vikings after signing on as an assistant defensive coach prior to the 2021 season, meaning he was one of the few carryovers from the Mike Zimmer staff to the Kevin O’Connell staff. Before joining the Vikings, Siefkes was the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Wofford College from 2018-2020.
The former Vikings assistant joins an Arizona Cardinals team that has multiple talented linebackers on its roster. Zaven Collins and Isaiah Simmons are one of the more talented tandems in the NFL, and they should continue to see growth with Siefkes on the staff. Meanwhile, the Vikings are left searching for another coach to replace him on their own coaching staff.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.