Full house: How the Vikings' new coaching staff shapes up under Kevin O'Connell

After decades of growth, the group this year runs 29 deep, positioning it among the largest in the NFL.

August 28, 2022 at 1:34PM
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell watches from the sidelines late in the fourth quarter of an NFL Preseason game between the Minnesota Vikings and the San Francisco 49ers Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. ] ANTHONY SOUFFLE • anthony.souffle@startribune.com
The Vikings are tied for the second-most coaches in the NFC in 2022 under head coach Kevin O’Connell. (Anthony Souffle, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Over the years, TV revenue, attendance and player contracts are not the only areas to grow as the NFL has grown in popularity. So have coaching staffs. Bud Grant's group in the 1960s could fit in a van. Now most coaching staffs surpass two dozen people, and the Vikings in 2022 under Kevin O'Connell are up to 29. Who makes up the new coaching staff for the Vikings? Where did they come from? How does it stack up against the rest of the league? Here's a brief introduction:

Kevin O'Connell

Head coach

Won Super Bowl as Rams offensive coordinator in 2021; spent two years in Los Angeles (2020-21), three in Washington (2017-19), one in San Francisco (2016) and one in Cleveland (2015).

Mike Pettine

Assistant head coach

Former Browns head coach (2014-15) and defensive coordinator for the Jets (2009-12), Bills (2013) and Packers (2018-20).

Ed Donatell

Defensive coordinator

Has 31 years of NFL experience; won Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998 with the Broncos.

Wes Phillips

Offensive coordinator

Passing game coordinator for Rams in 2021; coached tight ends 2013-21.

Matt Daniels

Special teams coordinator

Spent past two seasons as assistant special teams coordinator in Dallas.

Offense

Brian Angelichio

Tight ends/passing game coordinator

Worked in Green Bay from 2016-18; spent 2019 with Washington and 2020-21 with Carolina.

Ryan Cordell

Passing game specialist

Worked as assistant in Cleveland (2019-21) and across departments in San Francisco (2014-18).

Jerrod Johnson

Assistant quarterbacks coach

Former Diversity Coaching Fellow in Indianapolis and San Francisco.

Chris Kuper

Offensive line coach

Played collegiately at North Dakota; worked under Mike Munchak in Denver from 2019-21.

Keenan McCardell

Wide receivers coach

Back for a second season after stints in Washington and Jacksonville; 17-year NFL player.

Curtis Modkins

Running game coordinator

Has coached running backs for five NFL teams, most recently Denver (2018-21), and was offensive coordinator for two: Buffalo (2010-12) and San Francisco (2016).

Derron Montgomery

Quality control

First season in NFL; Arizona, Georgia and Michigan are among his college coaching stops.

Chris O'Hara

Quarterbacks coach

Worked with O'Connell in Washington 2017-19 and with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.

Justin Rascati

Assistant offensive line coach

On staff with Kuper in Denver from 2019-21; played quarterback at James Madison.

Tony Sorrentino

Assistant wide receivers coach

Spent 2019-21 at Northern Illinois; four seasons in NFL with the Jaguars (2013-16).

Defense

Roy Anderson

Assistant defensive backs coach/safeties coach

16 years of NFL experience, past two with Vikings; also coached in Chicago, Indianapolis and Baltimore.

Steve Donatell

Quality control

Son of defensive coordinator; first NFL coaching job; was defensive analyst with Stanford from 2019-21.

Daronte Jones

Defensive backs coach

Returns to coaching staff after a season at LSU; spent 2020 with Vikings.

Greg Manusky

Inside linebackers coach

Former Vikings linebacker (1991-93) has 32 years of NFL experience; spent 2020-21 at Kentucky.

Chris Rumph

Defensive line coach

Spent 18 seasons at Division I college level and past two seasons in NFL, at Chicago last season and Houston in 2020.

Sam Siefkes

Assistant linebackers coach

Worked as quality control coach for Vikings in 2021; former grad assistant at Wisconsin and also coached at UW-La Crosse, his alma mater, and UW-Platteville.

Mike Smith

Outside linebackers coach/pass rush specialist

Worked with Pettine in Green Bay (2019-20), where he coached new Viking Za'Darius Smith; spent three seasons in Kansas City.

A'Lique Terry

Assistant defensive line coach

First NFL season; served as assistant at Hawaii and Oregon. Played offensive line at Wake Forest.

Special teams

Ben Kotwica

Assistant coach

First season with Vikings; 15 years of NFL experience, two as coordinator in Atlanta, 2019-20; former Army helicopter pilot.

Special projects

Grant Udinski

Assistant to head coach

Assisted in Carolina (2020-21); former Academic All-America and defensive end at Towson.

Strength and conditioning

Josh Hingst

Director of player performance

In year two with Vikings after serving in same role in Philadelphia 2013-20.

Marquis Johnson

Assistant player performance

In second season with Vikings; worked in San Francisco from 2017-18.

Derik Keyes

Assistant director of player performance

Enters fifth season with Vikings, the longest tenure on staff.

Dan Ridenour

Sports science coordinator

Was assistant director of Nebraska's Athletics Performance Lab focused on health, training, rehab, tech and training integration in 2021.

Where the Vikings rank

The sizes of NFL coaching staffs vary, as do the roles of the coaches. Here's a look at 2022 NFL coaching staff sizes, as listed in team media guides and commonly including specialists in the areas of operations, strength, conditioning and performance.

NFC average: 26.1 coaches

AFC average: 25.7 coaches

On the rise

Evolution of sizes of Vikings coaching staffs:

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