Vikings

Is Minnesota's Next HC Coaching In the NFC Championship Game?

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee (USA TODAY Sports)

After hiring Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as their new general manager, the next order of business for the Minnesota Vikings is to find a head coach. The Vikings interviewed eight candidates over the past several weeks, and that list is starting to sort itself out. But this weekend’s results could expedite that process.

More specifically, it could play out during Sunday’s NFC Championship game.

With Raheem Morris, DeMeco Ryans, and Kevin O’Connell on the sidelines, it could be a final audition for Minnesota’s next coach. But while the rest of the world will be focused on if the Los Angeles Rams or San Francisco 49ers will be going to the Super Bowl, the Vikings might be focused on who doesn’t.

Since teams with head coaching vacancies cannot talk with coaches on playoff teams after the divisional round, the Vikings’ decision could come down to availability.

Say the Vikings really like Ryans but the 49ers win. Minnesota wouldn’t be able to talk to him until Feb. 14, the day after the Super Bowl. The same goes for the Rams, where Morris and O’Connell’s trip to the Super Bowl could make Ryans a more enticing option.

It seems like a flawed process, but it played out during the 2019 playoffs.

When the Vikings and 49ers squared off in the divisional round, it was an elimination game for the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns. The Browns were deep into their process and had determined 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski were the finalists for the job.

Saleh’s defense dominated the Vikings in that game, but the Browns hired Stefanski just a few days later. Why? Because the Browns probably viewed both candidates as equal, and Stefanski was the first one available.

The move worked out for the Browns. Stefanski led them to the playoffs the following season. But Saleh had to wait another year to get his chance after leading the Niners to the Super Bowl.

There’s reason to believe that Adofo-Mensah would take this approach. When they hired Stefanski, Adofo-Mensah was part of Cleveland’s staff and was presumably not part of the initial round of interviews.

With Adofo-Mensah preaching the importance of collaboration with his head coach, this would indicate that he would at least like to have a conversation with a candidate before hiring him. If the Vikings choose to wait on a candidate, they run the risk of having their backup plan hired by someone else.

There could be another outcome if the wrong team loses. If the 49ers win and the Vikings prefer Ryans, they may not be as high on Morris or O’Connell. That could send the Vikings further down their list or force them to get creative.

A winner in this scenario would be Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. After a failed run with the New York Jets, Bowles could be deserving of another shot. But Adofo-Mensah doesn’t have a previous connection, which could send him deep into his Rolodex.

What if that meant pursuing Jim Harbaugh? After taking the Michigan Wolverines to the College Football Playoff, rumors have swirled that Harbaugh may want to return to NFL. Michigan journalist John U. Bacon tweeted that he heard the Vikings “were a team to watch” in the Harbaugh sweepstakes. His claim has merit considering he is a Michigan alum and has written several books on Harbaugh.

Adofo was the director of research and development during the end of Harbaugh’s time in San Francisco. If he doesn’t see a candidate he likes, he could give Harbaugh a call and have his own high-profile candidate to interview.

That may not be fair, but teams also have taken the opposite approach. The Atlanta Falcons waited on Dan Quinn after he led the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl during the 2014 season. Two years later, the 49ers followed suit and hired Kyle Shanahan after a trip to the big game.

Both hires worked out well for their future employers, but those decisions were made well before the Super Bowl.

That leaves all eyes pointed to Sunday, where the Rams and the 49ers will battle for a Super Bowl, and several candidates will battle for their next job.

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