The 2024 Coach of the Year is…..Kevin O’Connell!
He won the award in his third season as a head coach, beating out Andy Reid, Nick Sirianni, Mike Tomlin, and Dan Campbell. Kevin O’Connell, 39, was the third-youngest NFL head coach in the league, only a year older than the 2017 COTY (and his former mentor) Sean McVay, 38.
The newly re-signed COTY has made a living on creating possibilities for his quarterbacks and helping each QB play to their strengths in his system. Whether it’s Kirk Cousins, Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall, or Sam Darnold, KOC has adjusted the game plan and his coaching style to best assist the position he used to play.
It helps that the front office has made a valiant effort to bring in playmakers over the years. Doing so takes pressure off arguably the most coveted position in the league through either trades, free agency, or the draft.
Look at the nuances of each QB who has started in the Vikings system since KOC took over in 2022. They have started five QBs in the last three years, and all five have had less success outside Minnesota’s system.
O’Connell developed “Kirko Chains,” fostered the evolution (before the eventual downfall) of “the Passtronaut” and became “the proud dad.” Each season under KOC has been highlighted in some way or another by quarterback play and the progression that player (or players) go through during a season.
KOC’s philosophy is, “We draft on potential, but the organization is in charge of maximizing that potential.”
The Coach of the Year has done that. Look at Josh Dobbs, a career journeyman who spent last year as the San Francisco 49ers’ backup. The Vikings traded for him on Halloween 2023, and he had to play when Jaren Hall got injured in Atlanta four days later. KOC kept the playbook simple, and Dobbs secured the Vikings a comeback victory over the Falcons without knowing the names of his linemen.
After winning in Atlanta, Dobbs became the first player in NFL history to throw three touchdown passes in consecutive games with two different teams and win an NFC Player of the Week honor. Dobbs also willed this Vikings team to two wins as a starter during that turbulent 2023 season. That’s still the most wins he’s ever had as a starter on a single team since entering the league as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 4th-round pick in 2017.
We can also look at this last season, another QB potentially entering journeyman status in Darnold, having his career revitalized by the man now being recognized as the “quarterback whisperer.” Darnold wasn’t even expected to last the season coming into the 2024 campaign. Although the end was less than optimal, KOC helped elevate Darnold into MVP conversations as the season ended.
Watching the evolution of what O’Connell can do with a quarterback, no matter their reputation, has made the Vikings an intriguing spot for QBs who need a reset.
Look at Daniel Jones. After the New York Giants waived him during the season, the Vikings brought him into their facility in hopes of helping Jones build his confidence back in himself. In doing so, they created the option of using him as a bridge to J.J. McCarthy, who KOC said, “We drafted him 10th overall for a reason.”
Speaking of McCarthy, the talk going into the 2024 draft was that it could be a while before the NFL truly saw his potential at the QB position due to Michigan’s run-happy offensive scheme. Then KOC got ahold of the young gunslinger and had the fanbase believe that J.J. could be the future during a short but impressive preseason before McCarthy tore his meniscus.
Vegas expected the Vikings to be a 6.5-win team last year, but they won 14 games. Coach of the Year has had five quarterbacks in three years. Still, he handled all these variables in stride and adapted his game plan for each quarterback.
Next year, KOC begins his quest to be the fourth coach of all time to be Coach of the Year in consecutive seasons. No matter who’s under center for the Vikings, O’Connell will construct a game plan that best suits that gunslinger.
