After relieving Ed Donatell of his duties this past Thursday afternoon, the Minnesota Vikings have already requested to interview Brian Flores and Ryan Nielsen. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Vikings have added a third name to that list by requesting to interview Seattle Seahawks associate head coach and defensive assistant Sean Desai.
Desai interviewed for the Vikings defensive coordinator job last year before it went to Donatell. He is a protege of Vic Fangio and runs his style of defense. Desai was the defensive coordinator for the Bears in 2021 but was not retained by Matt Eberflus who changed the style of defense that the Bears ran.
Desai’s defense in Chicago was 22nd in points allowed at 23.94 point per game but ranked sixth in total defense. That is somewhat the opposite of what the scheme is designed for but it makes sense when you consider the Bears offense was 24th in the league in total offense and 27th in scoring, averaging a paltry 18.29 points per game. The defense was also put in negative situations often, as the Bears were tied for 30th with a -13 turnover differential.
This season, he spent it with the Seahawks, where head coach Pete Carroll and defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt have specialized in cover 3/cover-7 but wanted to incorporate elements of the Fangio scheme into their system. What Desai will run here is likely the Fangio defense, but his exposure to Carroll and Hurt could make him more variable as a play caller.
