The Vikings’ Coaching Staff is Well Positioned to Make a New Hire

Reaction to Vikings Win over Patriots
Nov 24, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell shake hands after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Vikings’ coaching staff has been getting a lot of attention for who could get subtracted (Brian Flores, Josh McCown, Daronte Jones, and Grant Udinski). What about an addition? Does Kevin O’Connell keep all of his main coaches while then signing someone on for some more help?

If so, then look no further than Jerod Mayo, the coach who lasted a single season in New England (at least in terms of his status as the HC). He was supposed to lead the Patriots alongside Drake Maye for the next little while, but a very poor 2024 resulted in Mayo becoming unemployed. Mayo, perhaps, is someone for the Vikings to consider.

The Vikings’ Coaching Staff & The Jerod Mayo Possibility

There’s no salary cap for a coaching staff. In theory, a team could freely spend until it’s heart is content.

The Wilfs, to their credit, have a reputation for handing over ample resources to make the Vikings a strong team. The most obvious instance of that taking place is giving the GM the freedom to spend up to the cap limit. But then there’s the reality of U.S. Bank Stadium being arguably the NFL’s top stadium, TCO Performance Center being wildly impressive, and Kevin O’Connell signing a new extension (among other examples).

NFL: Minnesota Vikings Training Camp
Aug 3, 2023; Eagan, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and team owner Ziggy Wilf talk at training camp at TCO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The thinking, then, is that Minnesota’s ownership may be amenable to accommodating a request from Coach O’Connell to add a talented football mind and great leader to the staff.

Consider what O’Connell previously had to say about Jerod Mayo, a linebacker who arrived in Foxborough via the 2008 draft class that saw Minnesota’s head coach snagged in the 3rd Round. O’Connell’s thoughts: “I think the world of Jerod, always have. Tried to possibly work with him multiple times over my coaching journey just cause of the leader he is.”

Not long afterwards, O’Connell then reflected on his rookie season, noting that Mayo was one of the “alphas” who helped to lead.

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Still only 38, Jerod Mayo may yet be ascending as a coach. Yes, his initial foray into head coaching didn’t work out as well as he had hoped, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad coach. Rather, it means that there’s an opportunity for him to work elsewhere, perhaps benefiting from a change of scenery and being able to glean insight from an organization that’s not the Patriots.

Minnesota has strong ties to New England. O’Connell is the most obvious, but then there’s Brian Flores. The defensive coordinator did a bit of everything in his fifteen seasons with the Pats, working as a scout, special teams coach, offensive assistant (for a single season), and defensive assistant.

One could certainly envision a world where Mayo and Flores team up in Minnesota, working alongside each other as they try to push the Vikings’ defense into truly elite territory.

Oct 24, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores watches from the sidelines against the Los Angeles Rams in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Last season, the Vikings finished with a tidy 14-3 record before getting dismantled in the opening round of the playoffs. Finding a way of translating regular season success into postseason success is of the utmost importance for a franchise that appears to be moving in the right direction under the guidance of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, O’Connell, Flores, and the rest of the leadership.

If Jerod Mayo can even offer a small advantage, then the hire will be well worth pursuing.

Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.


K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.