The Minnesota Vikings opted to go in a bold new direction with soon-to-be first-time head coach Kevin O’Connell, while passing on an opportunity to bring in Jim Harbaugh to save the day like the San Francisco 49ers did over a decade ago.
On one hand, it’s admirable that the Vikings would say no to the proven candidate and stick with the young trailblazer. O’Connell checks all of the boxes—energetic, intelligent, personable, organized and approachable with a prior previous working relationship with Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
But he’s never stood in the fire as a head coach for an NFL franchise. He’s never had the weight of an entire team sitting on his shoulders looking to him to make all of the decisions. He’s never been asked to throw on the red cape and save a team that has missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
Whether he likes it or not, O’Connell will see himself either become the hero or a failure in Minnesota. There’s no in-between when pairing a first-time coach with a first-time general manager.
Harbaugh also had a connection with Adofo-Mensah, which is one of the reasons why he was offered the interview. The two worked together during the second-half of his four-year tenure with the San Francisco 49ers.
Clearly, Adofo-Mensah is aware of the success and immediate impact the current Michigan coach had on that football team.
The 49ers were 6-10 before Harbaugh took over the reins as head coach. In his first three years in the league, he led San Francisco to three consecutive NFC Championship appearances and a Super Bowl appearance in 2012. Granted, things fizzled out quicker than Michigan’s playoff hopes in the Orange Bowl, but no one can deny the immediate success.
For a time, Harbaugh put on the red cape, slapped the letter “S” on his chest and flew the 49ers the closest they’d been to the sun since Steve Young was their starting quarterback.
If the Vikings are wrong about O’Connell, then all of the people singing their praises for passing on San Francisco’s Superman will change their tune.
We all know how this sort of thing goes by now.
People will begin to pick apart the fated meeting that sent Harbaugh on a jet plane back to Michigan, despite reports that he was ready to accept an offer from the Vikings if they extended him one.
There’s some serious dice rolling here by the Vikings in putting their faith in a young offensive coordinator with no head coaching experience. Even if O’Connell knocked Adofo-Mensah and the Wilf family’s socks off in the interview, there’s a big difference between presenting a case to be a head coach and actually proving it on the field.
That isn’t to say O’Connell can’t get the job done. The Vikings have a solid quarterback in Kirk Cousins, and they are loaded at the offensive skilled positions with standout playmakers like Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson. And although the defense needs work, there are definitely pieces to work with to aid in a complete turnaround.
So yes, O’Connell can succeed in Minnesota.
But if he fails and the team comes up short of their goal for a third straight year, then the decision to make this hire will be revisited. The choice to pass on Harbaugh, if wrong, could haunt the Vikings for years to come.
