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It’s been a relatively slow news week for the Vikings compared to the last couple weeks. That’s likely due to the fact that their future head coach is preparing himself for a chance at the Lombardi Trophy this coming Sunday.
Kevin O’Connell might have his eyes focused elsewhere, but it didn’t limit the team from finding a key piece to his future coaching staff.
Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune reported on Thursday that the Vikings are hiring Ed Donatell as their next defensive coordinator.
The hire makes a ton of sense for a new regime that has a 40-year-old first time GM in Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and a 36-year-old first time head coach in O’Connell.
Experience is needed and Donatell brings an excessive amount of that with him to Minnesota. He has over 40 years of defensive coaching experience, with the last decade coming as the right-hand man to Vic Fangio.
Change was needed in more ways than one for the Vikings and there will likely be a big shake up on the defensive side of the ball. It’s fair to expect Donatell will bring a 3-4 scheme with him to Minnesota, something this fanbase hasn’t seen in recent memory.
It’s also worth noting that Donatell spent some time in San Francisco while Adofo-Mensah was working in football research and development.
This is a good hire for the Vikings as their coaching staff is starting to take place. Getting someone in the building with experience on the defensive side of the ball was a necessity given the youth movement with O’Connell taking over.
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