The three guarantees in life appear to be death, taxes, and assistants of Sean McVay being hired for a vacant head coaching job. After being named a finalist for the job, the Minnesota Vikings are expected to name Kevin O’Connell their next head coach in the coming weeks.
With the Super Bowl not until February 13th, teams had an opportunity to conduct their second interviews with assistants of the Rams if they desired. Earlier this week, it was revealed that O’Connell and Raheem Morris were considered finalists for Minnesota’s head coaching job ahead of their second interviews for the position.
Kevin O’Connell beats out Raheem Morris, Patrick Graham (who now returns to the Giants) and Jim Harbaugh (who now returns to Michigan). https://t.co/UsPHiNxENo
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 3, 2022
The deal won’t be able to go through until after the Super Bowl, so O’Connell’s expected to be coaching his final game with the Rams against the Cincinnati Bengals.
O’Connell has spent the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator under McVay. Despite not calling plays, O’Connell has helped lead the Rams to the ninth-best offense in yards and the seventh-best offense in scoring this season with Matthew Stafford under center.
If O’Connell is named the next head coach of the Vikings, he’d become the fourth assistant under McVay to be promoted to a head coaching position. In McVay’s first five seasons with the Rams, Matt LaFleur, Zac Taylor, and Brandon Staley are other assistants that have left Los Angeles for a head coaching job.
Before his time with the Rams, O’Connell spent a year as the quarterbacks coach of the now Washington Commanders with Kirk Cousins. Cousins is the current quarterback of the Vikings, which likely played a part in O’Connell emerging as the favorite choice for Minnesota.
While members of the organization are likely ecstatic to see O’Connell get an opportunity as a head coach, the Rams are hoping to send him to his new job with a ring on his finger.