Kevin O’Connell had the best regular season of any first-year head coaches as the Minnesota Vikings posted a phenomenal 13-4 record. O’Connell is already establishing himself as one of the game’s top offensive minds, but the next step in his evolution will be postseason success.

Being a head coach in the NFL doesn’t come with the promise of job security. One wrong turn can end a top-flight head coach’s tenure with their respective team. But O’Connell’s first season in Minnesota inspired confidence within the fanbase that the right guy is at the helm.

Kevin O'Connell might be a DAMN MASTERMIND#PMSOverreactionMonday #Skol pic.twitter.com/Z2bdWkRY6m

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 12, 2022

O’Connell is already garnering quite a bit of respect on a national scale as well. In fact, Ross Tucker of the 33^rd Team recently released his head coach rankings in which O’Connell secured a spot in the top half of the league.

With plenty of tenured head coaches stationed across the NFL, O’Connell managed to check in at No. 15 on this list. It should be noted that he is the highest ranked head coach in the NFC North.

From Tucker: "Again only a one-year sample, but O’Connell went 13-4 and seemingly won every single close game the entire season, so he must be doing something right with his late-game coaching decisions."

.@RossTuckerNFL's full head coaching power rankings ?

Who should be higher or lower? pic.twitter.com/rMDBxy20LA

— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) May 25, 2023

Still with plenty to prove after bowing out in the NFC Divisional Round a year ago, O’Connell must find a way to win a playoff game in 2023. The Vikings enter a new season with new challenges and plenty of new personnel, but the team’s core remains the same.

If O’Connell and the Vikes are able to repeat as NFC North champions and find a win early in the postseason, he should have no issue in creeping to the top 10 after just his second season on the job.