Vikings Part Ways with LB Coach
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings were always going to make coaching staff changes, especially on the defensive sjde after firing Ed Donatell, and it appears another domino of those coaching changes fell over the weekend. According to multiple sources, including Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Vikings have parted ways with LB coach Greg Manusky.
Manusky spent just the 2022 season with the Vikings, but he is one of the more experienced coaches in the entire NFL, and prior to coaching, he spent 12 years as an NFL linebacker in Washington, Minnesota, and Kansas City. Because of this, it seems like he should have other options for coaching during the 2023 season if he wants them.
Prior to his time in Minnesota, Manusky spent time with four different NFL franchises, and he was a defensive coordinator in 12 of his 21 seasons as a coach. He got his career in 2001 in Washington where he was the linebackers coach for a season before taking the same role with the Chargers in 2002.
Manusky spent five seasons in San Diego, but prior to the 2007 season, he took the defensive coordinator job with the San Francisco 49ers. His best season with the Niners came in 2009 when San Francisco ranked fourth in points allowed, but due to a sub-par offense that scored more than 20 points in just nine of their 16 games, they went 8-8 and missed the playoffs.
The coach left San Francisco following another poor 6-10 season in 2010, and he took the DC role in San Diego where he had been prior to his stint with the 49ers. However, once again, the Chargers were unable to make the playoffs, and the two sides parted ways after just one season in 2011.
However, Manusky landed on his feet once again, getting the defensive coordinator position under Chuck Pagano with the Indianapolis Colts in 2012. Indy drafted Andrew Luck with the first overall pick in the 2012 Draft, and the Colts made the playoffs in each of the three seasons from 2012-14.
Then, things took a step back in 2015 with Luck suffering from injury that only allowed him to play seven games. The Colts missed the playoffs with an 8-8 record, and their defense under Manusky ranked 25th in points allowed.
Following that season, Indy let Manusky go, and he went back to his roots, signing on with Washington in 2016 as the outside linebackers coach. He spent one season in that role before being promoted to defensive coordinator again in 2017, and he coached in that role for three seasons.
2020 was the first year where he stepped outside the NFL to coach, opting to join the Kentucky Wildcats in the role of defensive quality control. He spent both the 2020 and 2021 seasons there before joining the Vikings staff in 2022, and now, he’s on the open market once again.
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.