The history of Kevin O'Connell's excellence with quarterbacks
By Andy Davies
Kevin O’Connell is heading into his fourth season as an NFL head coach, and once again faces a tough NFC North.
With a new quarterback in JJ McCarthy, one year on from his originally planned regular season debut, this represents another quarterback to work with for O’Connell, a skill he has become a master of.
During McCarthy’s time in college, he was coached by Jim Harbaugh, one of the greatest coaches in college football history. In Minnesota, he will now play under one of the best coaches in the league at improving quarterback talent.
The origins of O’Connell’s coaching career
It was not an easy start to life as a coach for O’Connell.
His first role in the NFL was in 2015, when he was appointed quarterbacks coach at the Cleveland Browns. His quarterback room was Austin Davis, Pat Devlin and Johnny Manziel.
Despite working with Manziel as a private quarterbacks coach for the two years prior, he could not fix the issues the former first-round pick had in the NFL.
After a year with the San Francisco 49ers followed, the Washington Redskins appointed him as quarterbacks coach in 2017. He would then add passing game coordinator to the role title in 2018, before being named Offensive Coordinator in 2019. The role was not kept on when Ron Rivera was named Head Coach on January 1st 2020.
16 days afterwards, and he was back in the league, hired by the Los Angeles Rams. He would work alongside Sean McVay, who once also the Offensive Coordinator in Washington.
Two years later and Kevin O’Connell was hired as Vikings head coach in 2022. This came three days after winning Super Bowl LVI as the Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator. This is a role he was given following Ron Rivera’s arrival as Washington head coach
This was a Rams season where they traded for Matthew Stafford, who hit the ground running straight away and was instrumental alongside triple crown wide receiver Cooper Kupp. One of the defining images of this game was Kupp beating Eli Apple in coverage to secure the game-winning catch. Whilst head coach Sean McVay called the offensive plays, a lot of the success can be partially down to O’Connell’s work as the offensive coordinator and work with quarterbacks.
“[I’ll] always look back on those two years [together] as incredibly impactful,” said O’Connell prior to their Week Eight matchup in 2024.
“Winning a Super Bowl was something that I will not ever forget, for sure.”
O’Connell, 40, threw for six attempted passes as an NFL player with the Patriots back in 2008. This was Brady’s injury hit season. However, being in the same room as him and being coached by arguably the greatest head coach that has ever lived, you cannot help but feel that this is a big factor in the success he has had as both a head coach and working with quarterbacks.
An excellent QB resume in Minnesota
During his time in Minnesota, he oversaw the Vikings go 13-4, win the NFC North and quarterback Kirk Cousins throw for 4,547 yards during the 2022 campaign.
In 2023, Cousins was set for season highs statistically before injury cut that possibility short, but O’Connell managed to coach Joshua Dobbs to a brief ‘Linsanity’ run prior to the aforementioned success in 2024 with Darnold under centre where he earned AP NFL Coach of the Year.
McCarthy is going to learn a lot from O’Connell in Minnesota. It is hard to find many quarterbacks who have struggled under his guidance.
This has been echoed by Sean McVay, who was in high praise of O’Connell’s work in Minnesota with players at the quarterback position, prior to their aforementioned Week Eight meeting in 2024. He said: “I think he’s done a great job over the first two years, with a variety of different situations that have presented themselves.
“I think he’s got a great coaching staff. They’ve done a great job of being able to add players that fit the identity that they want to play with. Kevin’s a guy that … made a tremendous influence and impact as a coach here. I’m not surprised and I’m happy for those guys.”
O’Connell’s excellence was also recognised by NFL agent Drew Rosenhaus.
“I’ll tell you a story. I’m at the combine in your great city of Indianapolis. I meet with teams at the combine. Of course you’re talking about business with them.
“One of the head coaches who sits in on the meeting, Kevin O’Connell. I’m not going to put him in a bad spot, but he blew me away. The guy is more than a coach.
“In the way that [Bill] Belichick understands personnel, on top of coaching and how everything comes together with signing players, getting new guys, the salary cap, O’Connell is special. He’s going to be one of the greats. He is really impressive.”
Recognised for his achievements
It is one thing to have 14 wins in a season, but another thing when you are recognised by the Associated Press for your achievements.
In February, he was officially named AP Coach of the Year at the NFL Honors ceremony in new Orleans.
He showed his leadership skills during his speech. He said: “This is an organizational award. When I think about what this organization is for me and what it has been for me, it all starts with our people and it starts with our owners, Mark and Zygi Wilf. What you guys have provided me, the opportunity to be the head coach of your organization, is one of the most special things, and I don’t take it for granted one day.
“Our players and coaches, this was a special year. This season was one I’ll always remember. A special football team. They came together in a way that I am so proud of. The culture. The team that you guys built is what this is all about.”
Why the Vikings will always be safe in O'Connell's hands
O’Connell has proved to be an excellent head coach in Minnesota.
Whilst he has yet to win a playoff game in his head coaching career, with a 0-2 record, he has not been afforded a quarterback luxury that others get to have.
Whilst Cousins has a poor primetime and playoff record, Cousins was putting out some his best numbers during his time with the Vikings.
Had injury not struck in October 2023 for Cousins in Minnesota against the Packers, a sliding doors moment for the organisation, Cousins may have guided this team to a deep playoff run.
Injuries are sadly a part of sport, and O’Connell was dealt a bad hand on paper with Dobbs, Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall after Cousins went down with injury.
He got his quarterback to replace Cousins in 2024 through McCarthy, but his season ending injury saw the scheduled “bridge quarterback” have to come in.
O’Connell finally has the guy that he wants, and that is only going to be a good thing for this Vikings offense. If he can win games with quarterbacks he did not want, then just imagine what he can do with one that he actually wants.
ANDY DAVIES
NFL ANALYST
ANDY IS A SPORTS JOURNALISM GRADUATE WITH OVER FOUR YEARS EXPERIENCE OF NFL WRITING AND PODCASTING. ANDY HAS BEEN TO EVERY NFL STADIUM AND IS THE HOST OF THE ACROSS THE POD PODCAST. HE HAS PRESS PASS EXPERIENCE AT THE LONDON GAMES AND MANY OTHER NFL BASED EVENTS SUCH AS THE SUPER BOWL, HAVING INTERVIEWED THE LIKES OF AARON RODGERS, JASON BELL, OSI UMENYIORA, PATRICK MAHOMES, TRAVIS KELCE, DERRICK HENRY, SAQUON BARKLEY AND JALEN HURTS.