The Minnesota Vikings’ end to a thrilling season didn’t pan out the way Kevin O’Connell had hoped, but the team’s performance throughout the regular season still earned him the league’s top coaching honor.
O’Connell was named the NFL’s Coach of the Year on Thursday at NFL Honors. He beat out rival Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions as well as three other finalists in the Washington Commanders’ Dan Quinn, Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid and Denver Broncos’ Sean Payton. O’Connell received 25 first-place votes to Campbell’s 19, while Reid had four and Payton and Quinn each had one.
The Vikings finished the season 14-3, making O’Connell the first coach in franchise history to compile multiple campaigns with at least 13 wins after he went 13-4 in his 2022 debut. Minnesota was in contention for the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC before falling to the Lions in Week 18. They then lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round to end their season.
After first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy was lost to a season-ending knee injury in preseason, Sam Darnold seized the starting role and enjoyed a career year, earning a Pro Bowl berth after throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.
‘I put a lot of thought into this season with this team. I thought it had a chance to be a special team,’ O’Connell said. ‘I didn’t as much talk about preseason kind of predictions and how I use that to motivate the team. It really wasn’t about that. It was more about my just belief in our organization, in my belief in our coaches and our players to come together and just try to win one football game, and that was in the opener. Then it was about trying to win the next one.
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‘I think it’s a great example of you need people and you need things to be able to come together and find a way to try to have unique results. It didn’t end the way we want. Back to work we go. But I’m very proud of the team this year and what they were able to accomplish.”
After the season, the Vikings announced they had reached a contract extension with O’Connell.
‘Kevin is exactly who we believed him to be when we named him as our head coach – an innovative play caller, an excellent communicator and a strong leader who motivates and connects with his players,’ Vikings owner and president Mark Wilf said. ‘He has helped establish a culture that positions us for sustained success, and he will continue to set the standard we need as we pursue a championship for Vikings fans.’
This story has been updated with new information.