For the second time in Kevin O’Connell’s four-year tenure as head coach, the Vikings missed the NFL Playoffs all together. So now, the organization will have to regroup and look forward to 2026.

Minnesota hopes to return the top of last year’s coaching staff. KOC’s job hasn’t been in serious danger, since he took it four years ago, and unlike the last couple offseasons, nobody is really sniffing around the offensive assistants.

Meanwhile, we’re all watching the situation with Brian Flores, who is out flirting with multiple teams who have openings at head coach and defensive coordinator. His DL coach, Daronte Jones, is also a hot defensive coordinator candidate.

That doesn’t mean the Vikings have no offensive coaching talent floating around the 2026 coaching carousel, though. They are just FORMER Vikings coaches. Two, actually. One from this era and one from the three that came before it.

Former MN Vikings assistant Kevin Stefanski gets second HC interview with Falcons

The ‘hey, I know that guy’ NFL news cycle Saturday morning began out in Atlanta, where the Falcons are bringing in former Minnesota Vikings assistant coach, Kevin Stefanski, for a second round of interviews to be their next head coach.

Sources: The Falcons are kicking off their second round of head coach interviews Saturday by bringing former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski to Atlanta for another round of talks. Stefanski will be the first candidate to have a second interview with the Falcons. pic.twitter.com/nlrjQeoHXH

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 17, 2026

The 43-year-old Stefanski was recently fired after six seasons as head coach of the Cleveland Browns. He completed his first interview in Atlanta on January 11, and appears to be the first Falcons HC candidate to receive a second interview.

Stefanski started his NFL coaching career back in 2006, as assistant to Minnesota Vikings newly hired head coach at the time, Brad Childress. Three years later (2009), when Brett Favre arrived, he was promoted to assistant QB coach (2009-2013).

After five years helping with quarterbacks, Mike Zimmer was hired as Vikings head coach. That’s when Stefanski got his first NFL position coach opportunity, a promotion to Vikings tight ends coach (2014-15).

He then coached running backs for a year (2016), before going back to the QB room as quarterbacks coach from 2017-2018, when he was promoted to interim offensive coordinator, a job he locked in full-time for 2019, before the Browns came calling in 2020.

Former MN Vikings assistant Grant Udinski’s interview with Browns official

The other former Minnesota Vikings assistant coach getting a head coaching opportunity today is Grant Udinski, who had a very similar path to young coaching stardom, as Stefanski.

Even more odd, the 30-year-old Jaguars OC is trying to take Stefanski’s old job, in Cleveland. News of his interview first broke early this week, but the Browns made it official today.

We're interviewing Grant Udinski for our head coach opening

📰 Read more: https://t.co/YsFAHacBp7 pic.twitter.com/6CDpZzWvkm

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) January 17, 2026

Unlike Stefanski, Grant Udinski did not get his NFL start with the Vikings. Instead, he spent his first two pro coaching seasons as an assistant with the Carolina Panthers (2020-21).

But just like the other former Vikings assistant featured in this article, Udinski came to Minnesota as an assistant to the head coach — in 2022 — under newly hired Kevin O’Connell. For that one season, Udinski and KOC were inseparable.

Udinski may be most interesting coaching candidate in carousel

Grant sat in on every day-to-day task Kevin took part in, essentially learning second-hand exactly what it takes to be a head coach in the NFL. And if he lands the Browns job, his time following KOC around TCO Performance Center will undoubtedly serve him well.

A lot of folks have asked “how could a 30 year old OC who has never called plays possibly be ready for a HC gig?”.

Listen to how Grant Udinski describes his role in MIN under Kevin O’Connell (via #NFL Spotlight w @MySportsUpdate)

That’s why #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/V04WjTfsVW

— CLEology (@_CLEology) January 16, 2026

Udinski’s rise through the Minnesota Vikings coaching ranks happened way faster than Stefanksi’s. He spent just one season walking in the footsteps of Kevin O’Connell, before he was promoted to assistant QB coach.

One year later, he added assistant offensive coordinator to his growing list of titles. Then last offseason, he was plucked by the Jacksonville Jaguars, as their new offensive coordinator.

Related: New MN Vikings DC Candidate Emerges

In Florida, Udinski helped new head coach Liam Coen turn the Jaguars offense around in one season, and even make the playoffs. But to this point, the young offensive genius has never called plays in the league.

Obviously, KOC called them here. During his one season with the Jags, Coen called plays. Still, one year after he left Minnesota, the Vikings’ offense fell apart. Coincidence…? We may never know.

With the first round of the 2025-26 NFL Playoffs on deck and the Packers locked in as the 7-seed in the NFC, the Vikings’ division rival waved the white flag and sat most of their starters, in order to get/stay healthy for the postseason.

Meanwhile, Minnesota — who started the season 4-8 and finished on a five-game win streak — had no such concerns. The Vikings were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention weeks ago.

Browns fire MN Vikings raised coach Kevin Stefanski

Kevin Stefanski was baptized and raised by the MN Vikings. And in 2025, his Cleveland Browns lived a very similar reality to his former team, after Cleveland was eliminated from playoff contention about a month ago (week 14).

In the weeks since, there have been rumblings that the Browns could choose to move on from their 2x NFL Coach of the Year Award winner at the end of the season. And this morning, on “Black Monday” in the NFL, Stefanski was one of the first coaches fired.

Sources: Kevin Stefanski is out as the Browns head coach.

After moving on from Cleveland, Stefanski now is expected to be one of the top candidates in this hiring cycle. pic.twitter.com/db3fFLEZRh

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 5, 2026

We have tremendous gratitude for Kevin’s leadership of the Cleveland Browns over the last six seasons. He is a good football coach and an even better person. We appreciate all his hard work and dedication to our organization but our results over the last two seasons have not been satisfactory, and we believe a change at the head coaching position is necessary. We wish Kevin, Michelle and the Stefanski family all the best in the future. Andrew Berry will continue to lead our football operations. The entirety of our focus is on building a team that brings our fans the success they long deserve, and we will continue to work relentlessly towards that goal and invest whatever resources necessary to build a winning football program. Andrew will immediately begin our thorough process to find an outstanding new head coach and leader of our football team. We have an exciting young core to build upon, and Andrew and his team are intent on adding talent to this core and building out a roster that can achieve sustainable success.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM [BROWNS OWNERS] DEE AND JIMMY HASLAM

Browns fire their best head coach in modern history

Kevin Stefanski lasted six seasons in Cleveland, which is by far the longest of any Browns head coach since Blanton Collier coached for eight seasons from 1963-1970.

The only other coach in Browns history to walk the sideline more times than Stefanski’s 100 games was NFL Hall of Famer and 7-time Champion, Paul Brown, who lead Cleveland for 16 seasons from 1946 to 1962, before passing the baton to Collier, who won one championship of his own.

While Stefanski was undoubtedly the most successful head coach in modern Browns history, the former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator finished with a losing 44-56 regular season record and won just ONE playoff game in six seasons.

The #Browns are firing coach Kevin Stefanski, a two-time coach of the year, after two tough seasons in a row.

While Cleveland starts over with a new voice, Stefanski should be a top candidate in several places. pic.twitter.com/js9JDZKwyB

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 5, 2026

Prior to his underwhelming (but historical) run in Cleveland. Kevin Stefanski spent 13 years in the Minnesota Vikings organization, rising all the way up the organizational ranks — starting as Brad Childress’ assistant from 2006-2008 all the way to offensive coordinator in 2019 — before he left for the Browns head coaching job.

Cautionary tale for Minnesota Vikings head coach

Kevin Stefanski’s firing is a cautionary tale for current Vikings head coach, Kevin O’Connell, who will begin his fifth season at the helm in Minnesota next year. KOC will enter 2026 with a winning regular season record of 42-25, but the Vikings are 0-2 in the playoffs under his leadership.

Stefanski went into his fifth year in Cleveland with a 40-30 regular season record and 1-2 record in the playoffs. Two missed postseasons later… and Kevin is no longer employed with the Browns.

In other words, if Kevin wants to make sure his job stays secure into the future, he needs to get Minnesota back to the playoffs NEXT season, and even win postseason game or two.

Anything short of that could O’Connell’s job in jeopardy, or at the very least, heat up his seat entering 2027.

Despite the disappointment, Kevin O’Connell is not in danger of losing his job. That same confidence does not necessarily extend to general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. It certainly doesn’t apply to former Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, whose tenure with the Cleveland Browns appears to be nearing its end.

Kevin Stefanski a Trade Candidate for Cleveland Browns

After serving as the Minnesota Vikings’ offensive coordinator in 2019, Kevin Stefanski landed the head coaching job in Cleveland. He has now been with the Browns for six seasons, longer than most of the quarterbacks the organization has employed during that span. Stefanski has also been named NFL Coach of the Year twice. Still, following a 4–12 season, his future is very much in question.

Sources: The league-wide expectation is that the #Browns are likely to make changes, and two-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski is believed to be on the hottest seat in the organization.

Sources believe he’s either getting let go or could be a trade candidate — though… pic.twitter.com/fxiVlaXohr

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 3, 2026

As Jordan Schultz reports, it appears more likely that Cleveland would simply move on from Stefanski rather than attempt to trade him. Coaching trades are rare and complicated, and it’s unclear what a realistic market for a head coach would look like.

That said, the Browns have been mismanaged for years, and finding any way to recoup assets would be a logical move. Stefanski has been dealt a difficult hand, particularly at quarterback, and owns a 44–56 record (.440) through his first 100 games as a head coach.

This season alone, Stefanski started three different quarterbacks. Cleveland drafted Dillon Gabriel in the third round, only to select Shedeur Sanders in the fifth. Neither appears to be the long-term answer, and Deshaun Watson’s massive contract continues to loom as a significant obstacle.

At just 43 years old, Stefanski is far from done in the NFL. Whether he lands another job this cycle or takes time away, it’s reasonable to expect him to get another opportunity. A return to the coordinator ranks is also possible, after all, the Vikings went 10–6 in 2019 with Stefanski running the offense for Kirk Cousins.

That has hardly been the case for the Cleveland Browns this year. Former Vikings coach Kevin Stefanski is already on his second quarterback, and the team owns just a 2-6 record. Coming out of their bye week, they’ll make a change in hopes of jumpstarting production.

Kevin Stefanski hands off offensive responsibilities

For years the Cleveland Browns have been a dumpster fire of a franchise. Kevin Stefanski has seen brief periods of success having won Coach of the Year honors twice, and putting up a pair of 11-win seasons. Six years in with the Browns though, he’s giving up playcalling duties for the second consecutive season.

For the second consecutive year, #Browns coach Kevin Stefanski hands off play-calling duties, this time to OC Tommy Rees.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 3, 2025

Last year Stefanski ceded his playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. They team finished with just a 3-14 record and were tied for the worst season in the league. At 2-6 through eight games, Stefanski turns things over to new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.

Stefanski began his coaching career with the Minnesota Vikings in 2006. He was named the interim offensive coordinator in 2018 and removed the interim tag in 2019. After one year in the role, he was poached to be the Browns head coach.

Rollercoaster of a season for Stefanski’s Cleveland Browns

Joe Flacco started the first four games of the year for Stefanski. He then was benched in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel, and has since been traded to the Cincinnati Bengals. Gabriel was Cleveland’s third round pick this April, and one of two quarterbacks taken, with Shedeur Sanders also joining the room.

It’s unlikely that the Browns find their fortunes turning simply because Stefanski is no longer calling the plays. However, he has shown evidence of being overwhelmed now each of the last two years, and that’s notable. It could be beneficial for him to singularly focus on the full overview of the team, and Rees now gets a chance to completely run with his job responsibilities.

There’s a soft landing spot for the Browns and Rees in all of this as well. Cleveland comes out of the bye facing the New York Jets. As the road team, they are 2.5 point underdogs, but New York is just 1-7 and should be a beatable opponent.

Stefanski has enjoyed a nice tenure with the Browns, and he has stuck despite a tumultuous set of circumstances in recent seasons. It remains to be seen how this latest change, and another potentially poor season, plays out.

While we all loved seeing Kirk take over a game and lead the purple to victory like he did last week, it’s not something the Vikings coaches want to test out as something that might be sustainable. We’re all high on a smoking-hot Kirk Cousins but this team will not make the playoffs without Dalvin Cook regularly lining up behind or next to him.

Week 4 Status

That brings us to week 4. The Vikings are preparing for a Noon home game against former offensive coordinator, Kevin Stefanski and his 2-1 Cleveland Browns. Dalvin Cook has been limited in practice all week and did practice again on Friday morning. His status for the weekend is still up in the air and he’s on the official injury report as “Questionable” for Sunday.

Tom Pelissero (NFL Network) was able to talk to Dalvin, himself, when he came off the practice field on Friday. Cook painted a pretty positive outlook for the fans and his fantasy owners. Barring any setback during the next 48 hours, Cook said he plans to play Sunday. When asked how close he might be to feeling 100%, Dalvin told Tom that he’d put himself in the 90th percentile.

Here’s the full clip from NFL Network.

#Vikings RB Dalvin Cook (ankle) is officially listed as questionable, but Cook told me after practice he got a lot of reps this week, feels good and, barring a setback, expects to play Sunday against the #Browns. @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/48lj3RJaxK

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 1, 2021

After the Vikings duped much of the media room and fanbase into thinking Cook would be ready vs Seattle, even after he didn’t practice for most of last week, local insiders seem hesitant to give any hints on Dalvin’s possible availability vs Cleveland.

Darren Wolfson (KSTP – Ch. 5) was on SKOR North with Phil Mackey and Judd Zulgad on Thursday afternoon. He gave the best 1st-hand update I’ve seen yet. According to Doogie, Dalvin Cook is looking a lot better than he did last week. While even with all of this positive news coming out as the day goes on, Cook’s status isn’t guaranteed until he takes a few carries on Sunday. Still, this is a feel-good news day for the Minnesota Vikings and anyone who wants to see them win games.

Dalvin Cook is reportedly practicing again on Friday. Here’s @DWolfsonKSTP on @SKORNorth yesterday afternoon with the most detailed report I’ve come across so far. #Vikings pic.twitter.com/Ruo6CBckwY

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 1, 2021

#Vikings RB Dalvin Cook (ankle) and LB Anthony Barr (knee) were on the field and participating at the start of practice today. NT Michael Pierce (elbow/shoulder) was not. They face the #Browns on Sunday.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 1, 2021

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Tonight, Justin Jefferson will go to sleep as a pro-bowler and piece of Minnesota Vikings history. In just 14 games, Jefferson surpassed Randy Moss’ team record for catches by a rookie, after recording his 70th of the season on Sunday.

Moss racked up 69 catches during Minnesota’s unforgettable 1998 season, where he helped lead the Vikings to a 15-1 record and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game. Unfortunately for Jefferson, a playoff appearance (let alone an NFC Championship) is nearly an impossible ask.

2020 has brought challenges to everyone, but for Jefferson, his rookie season has been one to remember. One that’s cultivated gleaming numbers stamped by his vibrant and infectious personality.

The Justin Jefferson Show

RT to #ProBowlVote@JJettas2 pic.twitter.com/5b4Lnf71u7

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 16, 2020

This morning, ex-Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski woke up with a triumphant smile and an emphatic sense of validation. The Cleveland Browns are 10-4 and Baker Mayfield is becoming everything the Browns hoped he’d be as their franchise QB.

Last night, Mayfield continued his dominant second half of the season by breaking the Browns’ record for completion percentage in a game (84.3%). Stefanski has played an deep-seated role in Mayfield’s growth and a revamped franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs in 18 years.

Both of these guys have had profound jolt on their respective teams but which one has had the more impressive rookie season?

Stefanski’s Stamp

Look, anytime you take on a losing franchise like the Browns, New York Jets or Detroit Lions, you’re going to feel the stigma. Winning games in the NFL is difficult enough, but you Parlay that with a rookie head coach who’s taking over a franchise that has an engrained losing mentality…. and it can be a recipe for utter disaster.

Stefanski was brought in not only to reconstruct the Browns, but to elevate the play of Baker Mayfield. Stefanski has accomplished both tasks and much more.

The Browns haven’t won double digit games since 2007. They won their 10th last night. They haven’t won 11 games since 1994, and face the 1-13 New York Jets next week. Cleveland also hasn’t lost back to back games all year.

Cleveland offense by the numbers

According to Pro-Football-Reference, the Cleveland Browns are averaging 26 points per game (13th in NFL) along with 152 rushing yards per game, (3rd in NFL) and 375 total yards per game (10th in NFL). Baker Mayfield has thrown for 3,082 yards with 25 TD’s to 8 INTS.

Last year, Mayfield threw 22 TD’s and 21 INT’s under Freddie Kitchens. His last three games have been impressive, throwing for 974 yards, 8 touchdowns and just one interception.

Unless something funky happens these last three games, the 2020 NFL Coach of the Year award should belong to Kevin Stefanski.

“Kevin Stefanski will be the 2020 NFL coach of the year… Nobody deserves this award more.”@SharpFootball has been blown away with how good Cleveland has looked this season under Stefanski. pic.twitter.com/Rm8NQHjquy

— NBC Sports Bet (@NBCSportsBet) December 22, 2020

JJ’s impact

How can I not start off this section without kindly reminding you that Justin Jefferson was the fifth WR taken in the 2020 NFL draft. He currently has 73 receptions (Vikings Rookie record) tallying 1,182 yards. Jefferson sits behind only Randy Moss in rookie receiving yards and touchdowns, with 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns in 1998.

In 2020, JJ ranks 1st amongst rookies in receptions, receiving yards and second in receiving TD’s. Overall, he ranks 8th in the NFL in receiving yards and 8th in TD catches. He’s a rookie pro bowler. What else do you need to know?

At just 21 years old, JJ runs routes like he’s in his 10th year and carry’s a confidence that’s palpable. The stats are eye-opening, but Jefferson’s moxie on and off the field has reenergized this franchise and lit up a locker room in need of a little more fun.

I mean… the Browns are a playoff team.

Both Stefanski and Jefferson have had tremendous first years. However, one is most likely going to the playoffs and the other is most likely not. Because the Cleveland Browns are a playoff team and the Minnesota Vikings are not, I’m leaning towards Kevin.

It’s one thing to take over a franchise after Freddie Kitchens practically ran it into the ground. It’s another to flip one of the most incompetant organizations in all of sports while restoring confidence in a franchise QB many thought was a bust.

Stephen Strom | Minnesota Sports Fan

From our breaking news segment on @NFLGameDay: The #Browns have a new head coach in former #Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski. pic.twitter.com/5HjJDkMQzP

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 12, 2020

[/et_pb_code][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.1″ hover_enabled=”0″]

Well, there you have it. No matter how bad his offense looked yesterday, it wasn’t enough to keep Kevin Stefanski from the Cleveland Browns Head Coaching job. Not only did the Browns have to actually choose Stefanski over Josh McDaniels and others, but he actually had to agree on going there… which he apparently has.

Congratulations to Kevin, and I wish him all the best…

Ask for the Vikings, this opens up the small possibility that Pat Shurmur comes back to OC 2021 BUT it’s much more likely the Vikings go with the succession plans they seem to have already put in place for this exit, which is fully handing the keys of this ship to Klint Kubiak, with his dad Gary riding shotgun.

Honestly, I’m happy for the distraction. It’s something to think about, beyond the depression of Saturday.. and I’m not afraid of losing Stefanski after what I saw yesterday.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Liger, Man-Bear-Pig, Kubianski…  All of these things are in-fact awesome, but there is one, or should I say two, that are not like the others…

The 2018 Offensive Coordinator Job for the Vikings could have had its own original series on Netflix. After the Vikings were manhandled in the 2017 NFCCG by the Eagles, we seemed to panic a bit, sprinting to hire John DeFilippo as our new OC. Spielman & Co. thought John was the “missing piece” but the blinders were on and in retrospect, it was more of a hope and a prayer than anything else.  

DeFilippo looked like a genius, as the QB Coach of the defending SB Champs, but a lot of people ignored the fact that Doug Pederson called the plays, Frank Reich was his number 2 and then it was DeFilippo…  So was he a glorified coffee runner?  Some might say “maybe”, some may say “no way”, and others might come at you with a very vocal YES along with a quote along the lines of “did you watch the offense when he was calling the plays?”  

As I sarcastically answer back:  “What offense?”  I’ll see myself out….  

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=”3.22.7″]

via GIPHY

[/et_pb_code][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.22.7″]

After one last sputtering performance on the road in Seattle…  DeFilippo was fired.   It was clear that Coach Zimmer and DeFilippo weren’t on the same page, when it came to play calling.  Each week it seemed like Zimmer’s message was to run the ball, establish possession, and control the clock…  Game Day would come and we’d see a one-dimensional offense, zero running game, and a QB scrambling for his life.  Obviously it’s easy to point the finger at DeFilippo, because he was in-charge, but a combo of the bad OL, zero running game (because of that OL), and Cousins struggles to produce… eventually something had to give.

It was DeFilippos’s job.  John didn’t take long to land on his feet, though. He was hired as the Offensive Coordinator in Jacksonville, where he reunited with former SB Winner Nick Foles, who is also in his first season with the Jags.

Enter Kevin Stefanski.

When Kevin was hired, lot of people’s reactions were: “Who? Why? What?”

Obviously people had heard of Kevin, but why make a change during the season… especially to another (would be) first-year coordinator?  You have a 1st year QB and a 1st year OC… things take time. Why break that up so quickly?

Ohhhhh, it’s a business and the Vikings couldn’t wait around while employing a Super Bowl caliber roster.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=”3.22.7″]

via GIPHY

[/et_pb_code][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.22.7″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]

 Who is Kevin Stefanski?

As a coach –

– 2005 – Philadelphia Eagles

             (Operations Internship)

– 2005 – Penn

             (Assistant Director of football operations)

– 2006-2008 – Minnesota Vikings

              (Assistant to the Head Coach)

– 2009-2013 – Minnesota Vikings

               (Assistant QB Coach)

– 2014-2015 – Minnesota Vikings

                (TE’s Coach)

– 2016 – Minnesota Vikings

            (Running Backs Coach)

– 2017-2018 – Minnesota Vikings

             (QB Coach)

– 2018 – Minnesota Vikings

            (Interim Offensive Coordinator)

– 2019-Present – Minnesota Vikings

             (Offensive Coordinator)

Via (Wikipedia.com)

Talk about paying your dues…  Ahead of the Miami game, when Stefanski took over, the message was to run the ball more…  In the last 3 games of the 2018 season, the Vikings ran for 383 yards. However, a bulk of that came against Miami, where the Vikings were over 200 rushing yards. That’s an important detail because the running game under Stefanski wasn’t always clicking. In Week 17 for example, the Vikings struggled to top the 60 yard mark in the must-win game against the Bears (we lost).

Stefanski brings a lot of franchise knowledge, leadership, and experience; but as far as the OC job goes, he’s still green.

Enter Gary Kubiak.

Kubiak will serve as a mentor to Stefanski. He’ll be someone who can help him with some of the in’s and out’s of the business that is calling plays, as well as the brand ambassador for their new “zone running scheme”.  The Kubiak hire did come with a bit of a shock, given Kubiak’s track record as one of the best offensive minds in football, and there was the fact that the Vikings had just made a green Kevin Stefanski the full-time Offensive Coordinator.

Kubiak however, brings with him 27 years of coaching at both the college and pro levels, amassing 4 Super Bowl Rings (what really matters) in that time. The Kubiak addition doesn’t mean the team doesn’t trust Stefanski. It means they’re all-in. Both Spielman and Zimmer know the pressure is on in 2019-20, and they are pulling out all the stops to make sure they don’t disappoint.

Kubianski has been born.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=”3.22.7″]

via GIPHY

[/et_pb_code][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.22.7″]

Brian Heintz | Minnesota Sports Fan

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Finally, the news all Minnesota Vikings’ fans have been waiting for. We have ourselves an offensive coordinator for 2019 and hopefully beyond. Kevin Stefanski lost out as a finalist for the Cleveland Browns head coaching job to Freddie Kitchens. The Browns decided to keep their HC job in-house and so then the Vikings got to keep their OC job in-house too.

Kevin will return as the Vikings full-time offensive coordinator:

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=”3.19.4″]

Kevin Stefanski, a finalist for the Browns' head-coaching job, is returning to Minnesota as the Vikings offensive coordinator, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 9, 2019

[/et_pb_code][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.19.4″]

I listed Paul Allen as a reliable source in yesterday’s post about the coaching conundrum the Vikings were in because he denied reports by others that Stefanski was out of the picture. He was right. He was also right about the other candidates not being considered any longer.

That pretty much left it up to one thing. 

If Stefanski didn’t get the head coaching job in Cleveland, the Vikings knew, or at least hoped, that Stefanski would come back as their OC. And that’s exactly what happened.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=”3.19.4″]Follow @realmnsportsfan[/et_pb_code][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

There have been three candidates who have emerged. One of them is Kevin Stefanski, who took over for fired John DeFilippo to OC the last 3 games of 2018 for the Vikings. We all know his story. He’s grown up in the organization and now he’s ready to spread his wings.

With Kevin Stefanski’s deal expiring today, sources say the Vikings interim OC is searching through his options now. Wouldn’t rule out a return, but lots of potential landing spots, given how many head coach jobs are to be filled (and OC jobs there are to be filled after that).

— Ben Goessling (@GoesslingStrib) January 8, 2019

Then, there are the two outsider candidates.

Dirk Koetter is one of the two outsiders being considered. But he has reportedly been offered the offensive coordinator job with the Atlanta Falcons over the last 24 hours. There are no reports yet though, of whether or not he’s going to (or has) accepted it.

How can he not?

But, Mike Mularkey is in the mix as well, per multiple reliable sources. Both guys have been head coaches in the league already. Zimmer and Spielman seem to like that, though it hasn’t always played out in a positive manner.

Here’s what has me a little frazzled, though. While Koetter has apparently been offered the same job in what is likely a better situation, the other two candidates have been dismissed, “per sources”, by different legitimate outlets.

First, Kevin Stefanski was reportedly no longer interested in the Vikings job and was looking elsewhere, per Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press.

Paul Allen, who everyone knows does the Vikings play-by-play for 100.3 KFAN Radio, has denounced both Mike Mularkey and earlier in the process, Hue Jackson, while hosting his 92Noon radio show on the same station. PA claims to have “reliable sources” that say neither of those candidates are being considered for the job…

We should also note that PA’s sources have told him Stefanski is definitely still in the running for the OC job in Minnesota too, again in contrast to Walters’ reporting that Stefanski didn’t want the job.

via GIPHY

Somebody has to be wrong, right?

Or is there someone else in the mix that is yet to be reported on by major outlets? WTF is going on? Stefanski is essentially a free agent and is apparently on his way to Cleveland for a second interview as one of two finalists for their HEAD COACHING job… Could that be a real possibility?

Sources said Kevin Stefanski is heading back to Cleveland today for a second interview with the Browns for their head coaching job. It remains to be seen how things will shake out, but he’s still in the running there.

— Ben Goessling (@GoesslingStrib) January 8, 2019

Meanwhile, some are speculating that Stefanski might be on his way to Cleveland where they will try to coherse him into signing on as their new Offensive Coordinator under new Head Coach, Freddie Kitchens, who is the other finalist…

There’s a lot going on.

Stefanski declining to return as offensive playcaller for the organization he has worked for for over a decade, in the state where he & his family call home, to be Kitchens' OC in Cleveland, would speak volumes about where both the Vikings & Browns' franchises appear to be headed

— Nick Olson (@NicholasJOlson) January 8, 2019

It’s certainly possible that the Vikings are waiting to see if Stefanski gets offered and accepts that job in Cleveland. That could be what’s holding everything up. If so, you get back to these two last tweets about his trip to visit the Browns. Is he a serious contender? Could he leave here to accept the same position Spielman is willing to offer him?

At least Hue Jackson seems to be out of the picture, right?

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan