NFL
By: Steve Rogers
The Minnesota Viking’s first-year head coach Kevin O’Connell has been doing a phenomenal job thus far, leading this team to a 6-1 record after the first eight weeks of the season. He has almost seamlessly transitioned this Vikings football team from an old-fashioned defense dominant with a bland complimentary offensive scheme to an exciting up-tempo move the ball down the field with quick strike ability and a solid defense. Of course, that kind of overhaul can take two to three years, usually in the NFL. Yet, O’Connell has managed to do so in a single offseason.
Last year the Vikings finished the year at 8-9. This year they’re already 6-1. That’s just two wins from equaling last year’s total, which is what makes what he’s doing as a first-time first-year head coach so much more impressive. When you look around the league at the other five first-year head coaches, O’Connell has quietly moved out in front of them all. Kevin O’Connell has avoided making headlines for bad decisions and is actually transforming this team fundamentally and foundationally.
Kevin O’Connell, by the numbers this year. He has the Vikings currently ranked as the second-fewest penalized team in the league. Following the rules on and off the field has historically been an issue for the Vikings players. However, he’s winning where it matters most. At home, O’Connell has the team 4-0. It’s the same story in the division where he has them unbeaten at 3-0. O’Connell is also succeeding on the road with a 2-1 record. Overall his winning percentage is .857. The Viking’s offense is averaging 24.7 points per game. On the defensive side of the ball, the Vikings are only allowing 20.6 points per game. With a plus 4.1 point per game differential, it creates a recipe for winning a lot of games. Overall the Vikings are plus 29 in the point differential. O’Connell and the Vikings have 21 total touchdowns while only having allowed 17 on the defensive side of the ball. Once again, a plus-four ratio.
Going beyond the numbers, O’Connell has really gained the players’ trust in the locker room. The players have responded to his leadership style and coaching approach. O’Connell has transformed the culture as well as the playbook. The previous regime became old and stale. The words became tuned out. O’Connell has come in and brought this team back to life. He caught the player’s attention with a new fresh approach. This team was unconscious, and O’Connell has breathed new life into this locker room and rejuvenated the entire organization. It’s incredible how much effect just changing the culture can have on a team. There is so much energy in and around the team, staff, and facilities. It’s night and day different. There’s a vibe that feels different here, and maybe even hopeful, like the glass isn’t always half empty. O’Connell has got the players fully on board with his system and way of coaching.
Now with half a season as a sample size, O’Connell is proving he is not just the best rookie head coach but maybe even the best head coach in the league this year. Kevin O’Connell seems like he understands all of the responsibilities that are expected of him. He knows how to write playbooks and put together winning game plans. O’Connell knows how to relay and teach the concepts he’s trying to install week in and week out. I think that might be one of his biggest strengths is his ability to communicate. O’Connell is poised at the podium during press conferences and doesn’t seem overwhelmed or lost. O’Connell is giving solid answers without sounding like he’s just happy to hear himself speak or sounds like a guy who is just trying to use as many big words as possible to try and sound smarter than he is. With O’Connell at the helm, this team looks to be not only in good hands but the right hands.
