Vikings Rumors: Rams OC Kevin O'Connell to Replace Mike Zimmer as HC

The Minnesota Vikings are "zeroing in on" Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell to be their next head coach, per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network on Wednesday.

According to Dan Graziano of ESPN, the Vikings have called other candidates to inform them they are "out of the running."

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated also confirmed the reports, writing that Minnesota has "identified" O'Connell as its next coach and made calls to other candidates confirming that they have gone in a different direction.

O'Connell's reported deal with the Vikings cannot become official until after the Super Bowl, which will occur Feb. 13 between the Rams and Cincinnati Bengals.

Per Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune, the finalists were O'Connell, New York Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.

The Vikings fired former head coach Mike Zimmer at the conclusion of a 2021 campaign, in which they posted an 8-9 record and missed the playoffs for the second straight year.

Zimmer compiled a 72-56-1 record across eight seasons in Minnesota. The team qualified for the postseason three times during his tenure. The best result was an appearance in the 2017 NFC Championship Game, where they suffered a 38-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Team co-owner Mark Wilf told reporters the departure of Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman didn't mean they were planning a major restructure of the roster:

"I don't want to get into a full rebuild conversation. Our point is we have high expectations for this football team. We believe we can be super competitive right here in 2022. This is not in that mode of a full rebuild. Again, we believe we have a strong, strong foundation here on the field and around the building. I wouldn't classify it as that."

"Again, we looked at our football team in its entirety. As difficult as a decision as it was, we feel it's the time and place to go in a different direction and get us to the next level, which is where we all want to be."

The Vikings have several strong building blocks in place, led by Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks, Harrison Smith and Danielle Hunter, but there are legitimate questions about whether Kirk Cousins is a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback, and the defense needs a pretty significant overhaul after ranking 30th in yards allowed per game in 2021.

It sounds like Minnesota will attempt to push its championship window open following the coaching change and some offseason moves, but a rebuild may still be on the horizon if that doesn't come to fruition.

The Vikings do have some reason for optimism despite the lackluster results over the past two years, and now they'll hope O'Connell can help them reach that potential.

O'Connell, a former NFL backup quarterback, has spent the past three years as an offensive coordinator, first with the Washington Football Team in 2019 and then with the Rams for the past two seasons.

The Rams finished 11th and ninth in total offense the last two years, respectively. It was enough for the 36-year-old San Diego State product to get his first crack at being a head coach.

With the coaching situation now settled, the pressure shifts to new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to bolster the roster enough to give Minnesota a chance to make a serious climb up the standings in 2022.