 |
NFC North coaching staff rankings: Vikings' leadership is among the elite
In Kevin O'Connell and Brian Flores, the Vikings have a coaching duo that can go toe to toe with anyone.
Will Ragatz | 22 Hours Ago
It's time for one final edition of our NFC North rankings series. After going through six different categories of players, we'll finish with a look at the men on the sidelines (or up in the booth) making the calls. This is our ranking of the coaching staffs of the four teams in the division, which mostly weighs the head coach and two main coordinators. Let's dive in.
4. Lions
Head coach: Dan Campbell
Coordinators: John Morton (O), Kelvin Sheppard (D)
Notable assistants: Hank Fraley (OL/run game coord.), David Shaw (pass game coord.)
Is it crazy to rank the Lions this low? Maybe. The back-to-back division champs would've had a very strong case for the top spot in each of the last couple offseasons. But when you lose both of your coordinators to head-coaching jobs at the same time, there's a lot to prove. Ben Johnson is in Chicago. Aaron Glenn is with the Jets. Their replacements could step in without missing a beat — or they could struggle to fill the shoes of two of the sport's better coaches.
Morton, previously the Broncos' passing game coordinator under Sean Payton, has one year of NFL OC experience under his belt. Sheppard, 37, is an internal promotion and first-time coordinator who was a position coach in Detroit for the last four years. All of the signs point to Campbell being an excellent motivator and decision-maker in the head coach role, but he's never coached the Lions without Johnson and Glenn by his side. We're about to find out how important they were to Detroit's success.
3. Bears
Head coach: Ben Johnson
Coordinators: Declan Doyle (O), Dennis Allen (D)
Notable assistants: Antwaan Randle El (WRs/assistant HC), Eric Bienemy (RBs)
Head coach and offensive coordinator are different roles, but Johnson's track record suggests he was a home run hire for the Bears, whose primary focus has to be on maximizing Caleb Williams in year two and beyond. He'll put Chicago's young quarterback in position to succeed, especially with all of the talent around him. By his side will be Doyle, a wunderkind ex-Payton assistant who is just 29 years old. The Bears also have a couple standout position coaches in Randle El and Bienemy.
Another reason why the Bears avoid the last spot is Allen. He hasn't been great as a head coach for either the Saints or Raiders, but he was quite good as New Orleans' defensive coordinator in between those stints (2015-21). This staff looks much better than the ones led by Matt Eberflus and Luke Getsy or Shane Waldron in recent years.
2. Packers
Head coach: Matt LaFleur
Coordinators: Adam Stenavich (O), Jeff Hafley (D)
Notable assistants: Luke Butkus (OL), Jason Vrable (pass game coord.)
The Bears are hoping they now have what the Packers and Vikings do, which is a top-tier offensive mind at head coach. The proof is in the numbers for LaFleur, who has gone 67-33 in six regular seasons with Green Bay. He's just 28-23 over the last three years after famously starting 39-10 with MVP-level Aaron Rodgers, but the entire picture matters. Stenavich, Butkus, and Vrable have been around for a while and are important parts of the offensive operation.
Hafley was a big hire for the Packers in 2024, replacing the much-maligned Joe Barry. The former Boston College head coach interviewed with the Jets in January's hiring cycle, but he's back in Green Bay for a second season as DC. He's a very good defensive coach who could receive more head coaching interest in the future.
1. Vikings
Head coach: Kevin O'Connell
Coordinators: Wes Phillips (O), Brian Flores (D)
Notable assistants: Keenan McCardell (WRs), Josh McCown (QBs)
The Vikings' coaching staff can go toe-to-toe with the league's best. Playoff success hasn't been there yet, but reigning NFL coach of the year Kevin O'Connell is 34-17 in three regular seasons despite having five different quarterbacks start games during that span. His next task is to develop his long-term guy at the position in J.J. McCarthy. Phillips and McCown will also be a big part of that effort, along with Jordan Traylor, who was hired to replace the departed Grant Udinski.
In addition to one of the game's top offensive minds, the Vikings also have a madman mastermind on the defensive side of the ball. Flores had led one of the best, most unique defenses in the NFL over the last two seasons, and his personnel for 2025 is better than ever. The Vikings feel lucky to still have him after he interviewed for three head coaching vacancies in the winter. If Flores departs (which could happen as soon as next year), Daronte Jones might be in line to replace him internally. Flores, Phillips, McCown, McCardell, and Udinski could all be future head coaches in the league.
|
