Getty Ed Donatell has emerged as a new favorite for the Vikings defensive coordinator opening, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
Just as the Minnesota Vikings‘ defensive coordinator candidates list seemed to be narrowing, a new favorite has emerged.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Wednesday, February 9, that Minnesota is moving in on veteran defensive coach Ed Donatell, who spent the past two seasons as defensive coordinator with the Denver Broncos and was in line to become a senior defensive assistant with the Seattle Seahawks.
“Ed Donatell has emerged as the favorite or the Vikings defensive coordinator position, sources tell @DanGrazianoESPN and me,” Fowler tweeted. “Seattle – which was hiring him as a defensive assistant – is now bracing to lose him. New coach Kevin O’Connell getting plenty of experience on defense.”
Donatell, 65, has 42 years of coaching experience, including 31 seasons in the NFL and 10 seasons as defensive coordinator.
No formal interview requests have been leaked, but Fowler reported that both sides are working on a deal via league sources.
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Background on Donatell
Donatell has become a disciple of Vic Fangio for the past decade. Working under Fangio as a defensive backs coach from 2011 to 2018 in two separate four-year stints with the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears, Donatell followed Fangio to Denver in 2019, when Fangio became head coach and named Donatell as his defensive coordinator.
The duo made the Broncos defense one of the league’s most formidable units in three years.
In 2020, Denver’s defense ranked 25th in points and 21st in yards allowed. The 2021 season could have spelled disaster for the Broncos, who lost Von Miller in a trade to the Los Angeles Rams and had an offense that struggled to stay on the field.
Instead, Denver’s defense flourished, finishing eighth in yards allowed (5,544) and third in points allowed (322).
However, Fangio failed to produce a single winning season in his three seasons with the Broncos. He was fired on January 9, leading to a dissolution of his coaching staff.
Donatell is on the verge of landing the fourth defensive coordinator job in his career with the Vikings. He was the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator from 2000 to 2003 and helped the Packers play opportunistic defense, ranking first and second in takeaways in 2002 and 2001, respectively.
He produced middling defenses as the Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator from 2004 to 2006.
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Donatell Could Mentor Rising DC Candidate
The Vikings bringing in a 65-year-old defensive coordinator doesn’t promise the longevity the new regime of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell are likely seeking.
However, Minnesota carried two defensive coordinators last season in Andre Patterson and Adam Zimmer, Mike Zimmer’s son.
The push for Donatell could be one to add veteran coaching experience to the team’s coaching tree in hopes of another defensive coach taking the reigns in the coming years.
The Vikings have interviewed Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai and Baltimore Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver. They’ve also requested an interview with Detroit Lions defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant.
O’Connell will likely need to bring in a bevy of new coaches, with most of Zimmer’s supporting cast expected to leave Minnesota. Donatell’s experience means the Vikings can take a measured approach at revamping the team’s defense that surrendered the third-most yards in the NFL last season.
That will likely involve a transition to a 3-4 defensive scheme with many new faces that will be called upon to replace potentially seven new starters on defense.