The Minnesota Vikings are narrowing the scope of their head coaching search and Patrick Graham, who was among the finalists, has been informed he’s out of the running.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that Minnesota informed Graham and Raheem Morris that they are no longer under consideration. That reveal came just hours after Jim Harbaugh returned to Michigan.
The #Vikings wrapped up an interview this afternoon with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, then informed fellow finalists Patrick Graham and Raheem Morris they’re out. O’Connell is Minnesota’s man. https://t.co/rc60rsSk8W
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 3, 2022
With Graham being passed over for the Vikings’ job, that means he’ll likely return to the New York Giants as their defensive coordinator. And although the organization wanted him to land a head coaching gig, they’ll happily welcome him back with open arms.
“I’ve had a good relationship with Pat for some time in this league. He’s very diligent. He’s smart. I think the players respect him. He understands different defenses and I have a good working relationship with him. I did when I was back at New England,” head coach Brian Daboll said during his introductory press conference.
“Certainly, we hope that he has an opportunity to become a head coach. I think that’s everybody’s dream, but selfishly, I would love him to be here. He offers a lot to our program. I think he’d be a great support system for me and I’m hoping that that works out.”
There are still other head coach openings around the league but to date, none of those teams have expressed a public interest in Graham. And that’s unfortunate for them because they’re overlooking a well-respected and success coach.
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