In the 2023 season, under the leadership of Brian Flores, the Minnesota Vikings demonstrated significant defensive improvement, ranking 14th in points allowed and 16th in yards allowed. Despite this accomplishment, Flores did not receive any head coaching interviews during the winter.
Confirmation came early Thursday from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the new head coach for the Washington Commanders is Dan Quinn, the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys. This announcement marks the conclusion of the hiring process for the eight head coaching vacancies in the league.
Since the Vikings’ season concluded on Jan. 7, Flores did not receive a single interview request, despite the remarkable defensive transformation he spearheaded in Minnesota throughout 2023.
In 2022, under Ed Donatell, the Vikings’ defense struggled, finishing 29th in points allowed and 31st in yards allowed. However, a year later, under Flores, the team significantly improved, securing the 14th position in points against and the 16th position in yards allowed. This unexpected leap was particularly noteworthy given Flores’ history of leading top-tier defensive units.
Minnesota employed a blitz-heavy strategy, with more than four rushers on 51.5% of opposing quarterback dropbacks, marking the highest single-season percentage in five years.
Despite losing several key veterans in the previous offseason, Flores managed to turn things around, developing young talents like Josh Metellus, D.J. Wonnum, and undrafted rookie Ivan Pace Jr., who all had breakout seasons in 2023.
With Flores returning, the Vikings will enjoy consistency at both coordinator positions for the first time since Norv Turner and George Edwards started the 2015 and 2016 seasons under head coach Mike Zimmer, though Turner departed abruptly eight weeks into the 2016 season.
The new head coaches for the 2024-25 season are as follows:
1. Washington Commanders: Dan Quinn
2. Seattle Seahawks: Mike Macdonald
3. Los Angeles Chargers: Jim Harbaugh
4. New England Patriots: Jerod Mayo
5. Tennessee Titans: Brian Callahan
6. Atlanta Falcons: Raheem Morris
7. Carolina Panthers: Dave Canales
8. Las Vegas Raiders: Antonio Pierce
