Vikings must bide time as they wait for Kevin O'Connell, new assistants

The Vikings are a team in limbo, awaiting the moment they can officially hire Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell as the 10th head coach in franchise history.

He cannot assume the position until after the Rams play the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13. On Thursday, a day after verbally agreeing to hire O'Connell and letting Jim Harbaugh leave without an offer, the Vikings decided to let a few more coaches walk out the doors of TCO Performance Center.

Ryan Ficken was announced as the new Chargers special teams coordinator. Andrew Janocko will become the Bears quarterbacks coach, according to a league source, while offensive line coach Phil Rauscher is discussing the same job with the Bills.

Many assistant coaches remain under contract after head coach Mike Zimmer was fired last month. Even though leadership wanted to retain some coaches, including Ficken and Janocko, they've been let out of their contracts to pursue other opportunities.

The Vikings initially blocked the Chargers from hiring Ficken for his lateral move, a source said. But Thursday's departures indicate O'Connell might have replacements in mind.

Little is known about who might be candidates to join the staff of the 36-year-old O'Connell, a first-time NFL head coach who worked for the Browns, 49ers and Washington before joining the Rams in 2020. One possible defensive connection is 55-year-old former Browns head coach Mike Pettine; O'Connell's first NFL job came under Pettine's Browns in 2015. Pettine, also the former Packers defensive coordinator, was most recently a senior advisor for Matt Nagy's Bears last season.

"He's been spectacular," Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said of O'Connell in a videoconference with reporters Thursday. "I wouldn't be where I am right now, playing in this game with this group the way we've been playing, if it wasn't for his help. He does an unbelievable job teaching not only the game but what we're trying to do at our position at quarterback.

"His demeanor and his ability to communicate, and get to know guys on our team and demand a lot at the same time, is something that I think will serve him well."

Rams coach Sean McVay praised O'Connell Thursday for juggling interviews and preparing the Super Bowl against the Bengals.

"It's silly to try to ignore the opportunity you do have," McVay said in a videoconference. "You definitely want to own that and do a great job, but compartmentalizing is the key. Let's be totally locked in on preparing to the best of your ability within the framework of your role for the Rams but, man, you get an opportunity to compete for one of these head jobs — these are so precious — go shoot your shot and give it your best."

Meanwhile, some remnants of the Zimmer era are leaving the building. The Vikings are banking on their new 40-year-old General Manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, and O'Connell to refresh an organization that was rife with tension at the end of last season.

The Vikings considered two former NFL head coaches in Harbaugh and Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as finalists. Harbaugh, who returned to the University of Michigan on Wednesday night after a daylong interview in Minnesota, was the most established of the coaches up for the job.

Earlier this week, former Vikings offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak joined the Broncos staff. Assistants still under contract include receivers coach Keenan McCardell, whom receiver Justin Jefferson wants retained. Jefferson has spoken highly of his bond with McCardell, who introduced himself to Jefferson at the 2020 NFL scouting combine. Jefferson commented McCardell "must stay!!" recently on his Instagram page.

Ficken, who arrived in Minnesota in 2007 as an assistant running backs coach under Brad Childress, just finished his 15th season with the Vikings — first as special teams coordinator. He took over for former coordinator Marwan Maalouf and turned around one of 2020's worst special teams groups.

Led by standout rookie returner Kene Nwangwu and kicker Greg Joseph, special teams became a strength of the Vikings during Ficken's first year at the controls. He'd spent the past eight seasons as a special teams assistant under former coordinators Mike Priefer and Maalouf. The Vikings improved in nearly every category, including kickoff return yardage (second), field-goal percentage (13th), punt coverage (18th), punt return yardage (22nd), kickoff coverage (22nd) and extra-point percentage (24th).

Janocko moved into the quarterback room last season after coaching receivers and the offensive line during much of his first six years in Minnesota. Janocko, who replaces former Bears quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, reunites with new Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who was a graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh when Janocko was a backup quarterback for the school. Should quarterback Kirk Cousins remain with the Vikings next season, he'll have a fourth different quarterbacks coach and fifth different play caller in five seasons. (O'Connell was Cousins' quarterbacks coach with Washington in 2017.)

Rauscher spent two seasons in Minnesota, the latter as offensive line coach after Vikings assistant Rick Dennison was unable to coach players while unvaccinated against COVID-19. Rauscher stepped to the front of the offensive line room, seeing mixed results between the strong development of left guard Ezra Cleveland and struggles of right guard Oli Udoh. He could replace outgoing Bills offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, who accepted a job with the Giants.

Star Tribune writer Ben Goessling contributed to this report.