Kevin O’Connell’s latest comments are the perfect example why he’s one of the NFL’s best head coaches

When the Minnesota Vikings went through the hiring cycle after the 2021 season, they were the last to hire a head coach. At the time, Kevin O’Connell was viewed as a good candidate, but there were several other candidates who had the eyes of the media and the Vikings. Brian Daboll, Raheem Morris, and Jim […]

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Sep 28, 2025; Dublin, Ireland; Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell at a press conference after an NFL International Series game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Croke Park.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

When the Minnesota Vikings went through the hiring cycle after the 2021 season, they were the last to hire a head coach.

At the time, Kevin O’Connell was viewed as a good candidate, but there were several other candidates who had the eyes of the media and the Vikings. Brian Daboll, Raheem Morris, and Jim Harbaugh were all serious contenders for the job, but general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stayed patient and waited for O’Connell’s Los Angeles Rams to win the Super Bowl.

It’s been a huge win for the Vikings, as O’Connell has led them to a 36-19 record four weeks into his fourth season as the head coach, including a Coach of the Year award. He continues to prove that they made the right call.

Kevin O’Connell continues to prove he’s a great head coach

You can tell the way he talks to and about his players that he has a special connection. It helps that O’Connell was a former player and stood where they currently do.

This season has been a trying one for the Vikings. They have dealt with a multitude of injuries, which have had a major impact on their 2-2 record. Even so, you won’t have O’Connell blaming anything for their poor performances.

“I’m very fortunate to have some players that kind of look at things through the similar lens as I do, where you know adversity or challenges or obstacles are really just opportunities for growth from a team standpoint,” said O’Connell. “We didn’t do it in either one of those games. We did in our other two, and now we get the fifth opportunity.

“But I’m a big believer, if you’re looking for obstacles and excuses, you’re probably going to find them. So why would we take the time and energy to look, and let’s just focus on what we need to focus on in the present? And I think things will work out for this team because of the type of players and coaches we have. And my confidence level in the group is as high as it’s ever been.”

O’Connell has the right mindset as a head coach. It does nobody any good to place blame or make excuses. Be honest about what’s going on and work on fixing it. That process is good for the Vikings, especially with players getting healthy will fix a lot of the issues they have. Plus, if they can fix some before that happens, it could be a significant benefit for the rest of the season.

This could be the best coaching job of O’Connell’s career, by getting this team to the playoffs.

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