firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after four seasons despite signing him to a contract extension just last offseason.
Then on Saturday, the Vikings made new coaching hires, including bringing in Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith as the assistant head coach alongside Kevin O’Connell.
Sunday brought yet another shakeup for the franchise’s leadership as yet another coach joined the team.
Vikings Shake Things Up Again
Prior to last year, the defensive specialist has coached for nearly a decade at the NFL level. His first job came with the New Orleans Saints as the defensive line coach. He held that role four years and was also the assistant head coach in New Orleans during 2021 before being promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2022.
During 2021, the Saints had the No. 1 rushing defense in terms of yards allowed per carry. However, in 2022, that ranking took a big dip to 20th.
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The Vikings have had a strong run defense under Brian Flores’ tutelage over the past few years, ranking fourth, fourth, and eighth in yards allowed per carry during his three-year tenure.
Minnesota is hoping to get back into the top five with Nielsen on the staff.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Josh Frey is a senior writer at both PurplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, with a fascination for the NFL Draft. To … More about Josh Frey
