Vikings' Top Options to Replace Mike Zimmer as Head Coach After Firing

The Minnesota Vikings are cleaning house.

The Vikings fired coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman on Monday, a day after the team concluded an 8-9 season.

Minnesota had been a bastion of stability over the past decade, with Spielman serving as general manager since 2012 and Zimmer spending the past eight seasons as Vikings head coach.

The change comes after two straight seasons with the Vikings on the outside of the playoffs looking in. It's likely coaches will covet a job with patient ownership, a star running back (Dalvin Cook), a pair of star receivers (Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen) and quality quarterback (Kirk Cousins), but they may have to wait until a general manager is installed before the process can begin.

If ownership wants a coach in place prior to picking a general manager, don't be surprised if they look on the offensive side of the ball. Zimmer was a defensive-minded coach who preferred a more conservative offensive style, and it'd behoove the Vikings to search for a coach more willing to open things up.

Offensive coordinators Brian Daboll (Buffalo Bills), Byron Leftwich (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Eric Bienemy (Kansas City Chiefs) and Josh McDaniels (New England Patriots) are among the most sought-after assistants in football and should be at the top of the Vikings' radar.

All four options bring strong resumes to the table, though McDaniels has the longest run and most varied type of success. The Patriots offense has reinvented itself more than any other team over the past decade-plus, with McDaniels and Bill Belichick adjusting their schemes to best fit the personnel. Handing McDaniels a veteran quarterback like Cousins to go along with an excellent complement of skill-position players could instantly put the Vikings back in playoff contention.

Bienemy is deserving of a head-coaching chance after being passed over each of the past two offseasons, thanks in large part due to the Chiefs' deep runs in the playoffs. Daboll was also somewhat of a victim of his team's success last year but should find himself a job this cycle if he wants to leave Buffalo.

Leftwich is among the newest offensive minds to pop up in coaching lists after spending the past two seasons calling plays in Tampa Bay. While Tom Brady and Bruce Arians regularly get much of the credit for the Bucs' offensive success, both have heaped praise on Leftwich.