Getty Vikings coach Mike Zimmer addressed his future with the team entering what could be his final game in Minnesota.
While the cap-strapped Minnesota Vikings don’t have the means to bring in many fresh faces from a player perspective, the franchise will have to introduce potentially four new coaches to the fold.
Special teams coordinator Marwan Maalouf and strength and conditioning coach Mark Uyeyama did not receive new contracts this offseason, while offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak retired — leaving the Vikings searching for their sixth offensive coordinator in six seasons.
Defensive backs coach Daronte Jones, who had been lauded throughout the 2020 season for his work in developing an inexperienced cornerbacks group, interviewed for the defensive coordinator position at LSU on Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reported.
Jones was tasked with the secondary overhaul this past offseason after the Vikings released all three of its starting corners. While it was far from a perfect campaign, coach Mike Zimmer was encouraged with the growth from the young cornerbacks room, especially rookies Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler.
“I’ve been very, very impressed with him,” Zimmer told the Star Tribune. “You’re right, that is a tough job — coaching DBs for me. But he’s very smart, he’s very articulate, he’s not afraid to throw in his ideas. He’s tough on the players. He’s hard on them. He grinds them and grinds them, which I appreciate. I think he’s done a terrific job with these young kids. And, really, they are young, young.”
Update: Jones is expected to take the defensive coordinator position at LSU, per Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman.
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Jones Earns the Respect of the Secondary’s Most Veteran Player
Jones, adjusted to the journeyman lifestyle as an assistant coach in the NFL, interviewed with the Vikings last offseason with a strong recommendation from Zimmer’s former boss Marvin Lewis.
He won over Zimmer and veteran safety Harrison Smith due to his steep, yet honest, expectations of the secondary.
Twelve games into the season, Minnesota boasted the ninth-best pass defense defensive value over average metric, per Football Outsiders. Their midseason success was foiled by injuries and inexperienced depth in the secondary, however, Smith was impressed with Jones.
“He’s been earning his money this year,” Harrison Smith said. “He does a really good job of communicating exactly what we need to get done and things that we can expect while also not overloading the group with things that can bog you down. There can be a balance there based on just experience levels. He’s been doing a great job of starting at the fundamentals and expanding from there and giving us enough information to grow without handicapping us.”
Secondary’s Questions May be Answered by Pass Rush
While the inexperienced cornerbacks group went through its growing pains this season, the pass rush did not help them, producing the lowest pressure rate (21.6%) in the league.
The Vikings may have to go searching for a defensive backs coach, however, the secondary should get some help this season with the return of defensive end Danielle Hunter and nose tackle Michael Pierce.
Gladney and Dantzler are expected to be bonafide starters next season, while 2018 first-rounder Mike Hughes, entering the final year of his contract, will have one more chance to prove his worth as a starter for the Vikings.
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Trevor Squire is a Heavy contributor covering the Minnesota Vikings and journalism graduate from the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities. Connect with him on Twitter @trevordsquire and join our Vikings community at Heavy on Vikings on Facebook.