Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has been named the Associated Press Coach of the Year during Thursday night’s NFL Honors program in New Orleans.
In his third season as Minnesota’s coach, O’Connell guided the Vikings to a 14-3 record. With new additions in quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Aaron Jones added to the fold to join wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, O’Connell guided the team to a 5-0 start. After two losses over a five-day stretch in October, the Vikings racked up nine wins in a row. Minnesota stayed in the hunt for the NFC North title and No. 1 seed in the NFC up until the final week before losing the last game of the regular season to the Detroit Lions.
‘Make the complex simple’ and adapt on the fly: How Kevin O’Connell leads electric Vikings
Minnesota’s 14 wins were the tied for the third-most in the league with the Philadelphia Eagles and trailed only the 15-win Lions and Kansas City Chiefs. The victory total was also the best mark in Vikings team history in 26 seasons.
Two weeks ago, the 39-year-old coach inked a multi-year extension. In three seasons, O’Connell has compiled a 34-17 regular season record and is one of only two coaches since 1950 — George Seifert is the other — to have multiple 13-win seasons in a three-year span with different starting quarterbacks.
“Kevin is exactly who we believed him to be when we named him as our head coach — an innovative play caller, an excellent communicator and a strong leader who motivates and connects with his players,” Vikings Owner/President Mark Wilf said when announcing the contract extension.
O’Connell topped finalists Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions), Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs), Sean Payton (Denver Broncos) and Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders) for the award. O’Connell received 25 of the 50 first-place votes and was no lower than third on a ballot.
Minnesota had two other finalists at the NFL Honors. Darnold was nominated for AP Comeback Player of the Year and finished third behind the winner — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and the runner-up, Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores was a finalist for AP Assistant Coach of the Year, but finished second to Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Why O’Connell was honored as Coach of the Year
The Vikings entered the 2024 season with low expectations. Oddsmakers listed Minnesota’s over-under at around 6 1/2 wins. There was uncertainty at quarterback. The Vikings were also navigating Khyree Jackson’s tragic passing over the summer. O’Connell’s leadership not only kept the Vikings afloat, but it also helped the organization thrive amid adversity. Darnold produced a career year with O’Connell calling the plays, and the Vikings won 14 games.
No statistic does more justice to what Minnesota accomplished under O’Connell this season than this one: O’Connell became the first NFL coach since at least 1950 to win 14 games in a season with a quarterback who was in his first season with the team. The Los Angeles Rams bounced the Vikings in the wild-card round, and Minnesota collapsed down the stretch. That the Vikings were even relevant in those final two games against the Lions and Rams is a testament to the job O’Connell did. — Alec Lewis, Vikings beat writer