Vikings request interviews with Sean Desai, Ryan Nielsen for defensive coordinator opening

The Vikings have added two more names to the list of candidates for their defensive coordinator opening.

A source with knowledge of the team's plan confirmed the Vikings requested interviews with Seahawks associate head coach Sean Desai and Saints co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen. The Vikings had previously requested an interview with Steelers senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach Brian Flores.

The Vikings interviewed Desai for their defensive coordinator job last year, before coach Kevin O'Connell eventually hired Ed Donatell for the job. Desai had been the Bears defensive coordinator in 2021, and had worked under Vic Fangio as a defensive quality control assistant from 2015 to '18 in Chicago, when Donatell was the Bears secondary coach. Though Desai has worked in other schemes, he would seem like a strong candidate if the Vikings wanted to continue to apply a version of Fangio's defense in 2023.

Nielsen was the Saints defensive line coach from 2017 to '20 before he added assistant head coach to his title in 2021 and shared the defensive coordinator title with Kris Richard in Dennis Allen's first season as the Saints head coach. Nielsen went into coaching after a training camp stint as a defensive lineman with the Eagles in 2002, and time in the Arena League in 2004.