Minnesota Vikings continue coaching staff upheaval by filling an open spot with impressive promotion

Ryan Cordell got a chance to show his abilities at the Senior Bowl, and that’s turned into a promotion.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is seen during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings will have a significantly different coaching staff in 2026 than they did in 2025. They have already seen seven assistant coaches leave this offseason, with an eighth in safeties coach Michael Hutchings leaving in December for the defensive coordinator position at Cal.

That has left head coach Kevin O’Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores in a tough spot to fill those position, especially with multiple coaches leaving later in the coaching cycle.

Minnesota Vikings promote Ryan Cordell to tight ends coach

On Thursday, we got news of Albury’s departure to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and they followed it up by promoting Ryan Cordell to tight ends coach from game management coordinator/passing game specialist.

Per his bio on the Vikings’ website, Cordell has been in the NFL for 12 seasons, including the last four in Minnesota.

“As the Vikings game management coordinator, Cordell continues to play a key role in helping the team become “situational masters.” During the 2022 season, Cordell’s first in Minnesota, the Vikings finished the regular season with an 11-0 record in one score games after finishing 5-8 in those same situations the previous season. In 2024, Minnesota also boasted a 9-1 record in one-possession games in 2024, the second-best mark league wide trailing only the AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs (11-0).

“Cordell spent five seasons (2014-18) with the San Francisco 49ers, serving as special assistant to the general manager during his final two seasons. While with the 49ers, Cordell worked with Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Head Coach Kevin O’Connell and Running Backs/Run Game Coordinator Curtis Modkins.”

It’s not a surprise that Cordell is getting promoted, as his ties with members of the organization run deep. He also got a chance to coach quarterbacks in the Senior Bowl, working with Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, North Dakota State’s Cole Payton, and Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson. He will be responsible with leading T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver.

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