Vikings Scoop Up New Coach
Lately, the attention has been on who has been taking off for the Vikings’ coaching staff. Every so often, though, news emerges of who is getting added.
Consider the update courtesy of Kevin Seifert of ESPN: “The Vikings have hired Kyle Caskey as an offensive assistant. Caskey had been slated to be offensive coordinator of the UFL’s Orlando Storm this season and had previously been the RB/special teams coach for the St. Louis Battlehawks, all under HC Anthony Becht.”
Vikings Land New Coach
Not too long afterwards, Seifert drops down further information to contextualize what’s going on.
The brief word: “Becht has spearheaded a UFL priority in creating opportunities for coaches. His OC in St. Louis from 2023-24 was Bruce Gradkowski, now a Detroit Lions assistant. Becht is now HC for Orlando. UFL players are reporting this weekend to training camp ahead of the 2026 season.”
As it relates to Coach Caskey, the job title is stubbornly vague: offensive assistant. There may still be a clue in the background that Seifert offers.
For starters, there’s his status as a former OC in the rival pro football league. Occupying that job suggests a strong understanding of offensive football overall. Digging down a touch further shows a history of working with runners and on specials. Did he get grafted onto the Vikings’ coaching staff to help at running back?
More broadly, there’s the rushing attack as a whole. Running backs do most of the damage, but the quarterbacks and pass catchers can join the fun, too. In particular, there’s Jordan Addison’s ability when he’s allowed to get to the edge with some speed behind him.
Plus, J.J. McCarthy is a great athlete, someone capable of outrunning NFL defenders (and tossing the occasional stiff arm). The great issue, of course, is that he has missed a ton of time in his still-young NFL career, dampening the enthusiasm for runs since there’s greater risk of getting walloped. The option does exist, though.
Elevating Minnesota’s ground game would do wonders for the team as a whole. The QB would face easier 3rd down situations while getting hit less. The large lads in the trenches could fire out of their stances more regularly instead of so consistently withstanding pass rushers. The defense could get more rest if the Vikings win the time of possession battle. The special teams could get better field position.
So, all that to say that reinvigorating an aspect of football that has been dormant since Kevin O’Connell arrived would be a nice development for the team.
O’Connell’s top coaches — coordinators Brian Flores, Wes Phillips, and Matt Daniels — remain in Minnesota for 2026. Combined, the cluster of coaching talent will look to shepherd the Vikings into the playoffs. New hire Kyle Caskey will look to be an under-the-radar part of achieving that goal.
