Mike Zimmer has had quite the fall from grace over the past few seasons.
After a great year in 2017, the Vikings have had one season with more than 10 wins and only one playoff appearance. His 17-39 record against teams that finish above .500 speaks volumes about how well this team plays in big games.
Zimmer did a great job of turning this team around. He deserves nothing but praise for that. He possessed a tough-as-nails mindset, which reflected on game day. The Vikings defense performing well on third down has been the reason the Vikings were seemingly in almost every game. Zimmer deserves the undying respect of Vikings fans for how hard he worked to make this team great.
All that said, it’s apparent that a change needs to occur. The defense had a lot of money invested in it — only to underperform. His abysmal and conservative game and time management hindered the team’s ability to take the next step. Zimmer failed to maximize Kirk Cousins. That’s also a big reason he should be let go.
For all of Cousins’ faults, it’s inarguable that this team has failed to get the most out of him. From running the ball continuously on second-and-long, forcing the ball to Dalvin Cook and not trying to utilize the deep ball more, his tenure has not been optimal thus far. For a player who was brought in to be the final piece of the Super Bowl puzzle, hovering around .500 is an adjunct failure.
It became obvious that a change was needed at head coach after Sunday’s game against the Cowboys. With that in mind, the direction of the team should be obvious: A head coach with an offensive mind should be the priority. The offense has gone through such a massive upheaval for Mike Zimmer’s tenure and stabilizing the most important group on the field should be the priority.
Here are four coaches who the Vikings should consider: