Minnesota Vikings: “No Kevin O’Connell is malpractice”

On June 25, Pro Football Focus analyst Dalton Wasserman revealed his top ten head coaches in the NFL ranking. The list featured (in order of rank) Kansas City Chiefs Andy Reid, Denver Broncos Sean Payton, Los Angeles Rams Sean McVay, Baltimore Ravens John Harbaugh, Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Tomlin, Los Angeles Chargers Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers Kyle Shanahan, Philadelphia Eagles Nick Sirianni, Detroit Lions Dan Campbell, and Cleveland Browns Kevin Stefanski.

Most surprising was the shocking omission of Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, who is the reigning NFL Coach of the Year.

In response, some NFL fans highlighted how there were some notable omissions from this list.

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

Meanwhile, other NFL fans made clear that the list meant nothing and was not accurate at all if O’Connell was not on it.

“No kevin O’Connell is malpractice.” one fan wrote.

“More Vikings hate from Florio. KOC [Kevin O’Connell] reigning COTY [Coach of the Year] 🤷🏼‍♂️.” one fan wrote.

“This might be the worst list of all time.” one fan wrote.

Does Kevin O’Connell deserve to be in the top ten coaches list?

Since becoming the head coach of the Vikings in 2022, O’Connell has been instrumental to the team’s regular season success and consistent postseason appearances.

In his first season as a head coach in the National Football League, O’Connell led the Vikings to an impressive record of 13-4 and a place in the postseason. His second season was slightly more difficult, as the club finished with a record of 7-10 and did not make the playoffs. Finally, last campaign in 2024, the Vikings were one game away from the top seed in the NFC, finishing with a record of 14-3 and making it to the postseason.

O’Connell won the Coach of the Year award for this dominant campaign last year and has been extremely impressive in taking struggling QB’s and turning them into stars in the league. Although Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold were solid QB’s, they each arguably had the best season of their NFL career under O’Connell.

Vikings fans will be hoping that J.J. McCarthy will be the next QB to succeed under the guidance, leadership, and smart play calling of O’Connell in 2025. As a result, it is hard to make a case against O’Connell being included on the top ten head coaches list.