With it all-but official that Kevin O’Connell will become the next head coach of the Vikings, there is a growing sense that his first defensive coordinator is soon to be named. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets that Mike Pettine is the “likely” hire as DC. 
[Related: Vikings Plan To Hire Kevin O’Connell]
Specifically, La Canfora says “I keep hearing” Pettine’s name attached to the DC job in Minnesota. The 55-year-old has been a coach in the NFL dating back to 2002. He’s had three different stints as a DC, with the Jets, Bills and Packers. The latter chose not to renew his contract after the 2020 season. He spent this year with the Bears under the title of senior defensive assistant.
Chicago ranked sixth in the league in yards allowed, and fourth in sacks. That success came with players like Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks each missing considerable time. Pettine’s experience helped Sean Desai during his first campaign as a coordinator, which has garnered him interest from the Raiders.
If Pettine were to take on a fourth DC job, he would be tasked with guiding a Minnesota unit that finished 30th in the league in yards allowed and 24th in points against last year. The team has a litany of veterans that are pending free agents, especially on the edge and in the secondary. An offseason of roster turnover could at least be helped by the presence of a veteran coach with plenty of experience in the NFC North.
Damn. These guys just keep on being recycled.
Do you really want a staff of first time coaches that potentially not know what they are doing?
It worked out for the Bengals. Head coach, DC and OC were all in the position for the first time. It took until the 3rd year though. I’m not a Pettine fan though
Except how did it work out year one? Not very well. The Vikes are not in position to draft #1. So not quite the same scenario.
You’re right. Vikings are a much better team than Cincinnati was. Honestly I’d rather have a younger guy with new ideas. The game is evolving and some of the recycled guys refuse to adapt
In other news, La Canfora denies he got a Venmo payment from Pettine’s agent.
Heck no. Has this guy ever led a top 10 defense?
Did you read about last year’s Bears? Desai didn’t do that on his own as a first year coordinator.
The advantage here is that Pettine has experience running a couple of different defensive styles in terms of base personnel. I don’t know if Pettine can make the unit elite quickly, but he at least has the experience to make it respectable, as he did in Green Bay (despite the Packers refusing to shore up a couple of necessary positions while he was there, such as MLB CB, or DE). Pettine has run the 4-3 that the Vikings are currently built for (and the 9ers ran while Adolfo-Mensah was there) but we’ll see how much turnover they’ll want to go through.
With an inexperienced GM and a potentially inexperienced coach, Pettine could be a good stabilizer for the new Vikings regime. We’ll see what happens if he’s hired.
Is jim o’Neil going with him
The rest of the NFC North would make sure Pettines plane lands safely in Minneapolis.