Mike Singletary Named Minnesota Vikings Linebackers Coach: Why This Will Work

Recently fired head coach Mike Singletary will be working on the sidelines again next season. This time for the Minnesota Vikings.

He will take the role as the linebackers coach for a team he used to love to beat back in his playing days with the Chicago Bears. In addition, he will also work as assistant coach to former teammate, and current Minnesota head coach, Leslie Frazier.

Will this work? I'd say so. The man used to be an All-Pro linebacker himself and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He knows his defense and knows how to make linebackers into great players. He took San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis under his wing and helped him gain honors such a AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and Willis was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Minnesota already has a strong linebacker corps. You start in the middle with veteran E.J. Henderson who had a great season with 106 tackles and three interceptions. On the sides you have Ben Leber and Chad Greenway. 

Leber is the linebacker that I think Singletary can make great. Although he is getting older (32 years old) I still think Singletary can make him a 100-tackle linebacker. Three 100-tackle linebackers on one team can be a menacing defense. Throw Jared Allen and Kevin Williams and Pat Williams in there and you've got yourself a punishing defense. 

I don't think Singletary was ready to handle a whole team on his own. I think he works best as a behind-the-scenes coach. Being a linebacker was his profession back in the '80s and that's the best coaching he can bring to a team.