:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66154558/usa_today_10890306.0.jpg)
When the season ended for the Minnesota Vikings almost two weeks ago, a coaching exodus began. Along with a couple of position coaches not coming back, offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski accepted the head coaching position with Cleveland, and it was announced defensive coordinator George Edwards would not be returning.
Today, the offensive coordinator position has been filled with an in-house coach already on staff, per Ian Rapoport and confirmed by Courtney Cronin:
The #Vikings are turning to a familiar face for their new OC: Gary Kubiak, who has been an assistant head coach and offensive advisor, is taking over as the offensive coordinator, sources say. His impact was felt quickly in Minnesota and now he sticks around.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 23, 2020
Among the list of possible options, I thought Gary Kubiak made the most sense, but I was unsure about his health. If you’ll remember, he had to step down as head coach of the Denver Broncos due to health concerns, and a lot of folks speculated whether or not stepping in to a full time coordinator role would be too physically demanding.
Assuming he’s healthy, I think this is a really solid move for the Vikings, as the current offensive system will remain in place with little to no disruption. If you’ll remember, when Kubiak and OL coach Rick Dennison were hired, they brought the offense with them, and then OC Kevin Stefanski adapted to that system, as opposed to the new coaches adapting to the system the Vikings had in place, which was a bit of an anomaly.
The result was an improvement by the offense in almost every single category, and a career year for QB Kirk Cousins.
Cronin also has a bit of news on a possible defensive coordinator:
Like I reported last wk, Adam Zimmer remains in strong consideration for the DC role, and it makes sense if Mike Zimmer is actually going to turn over play-calling duties, something he's been milling around for a couple seasons, to his son who he can teach to carry on his system https://t.co/Gjw1sUvWtp
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) January 23, 2020
So the Vikings have an offensive coordinator, and this feels like a really good move for the staff. There’s been no news as to whether or not there will be an assistant head coach hired to fill the role Kubiak had last year, but I would think that with the experience Kubiak brings to the table compared to Stefanski being a first time OC last year, I wouldn’t expect such a move, but that’s just me.