Vikings' Kevin O'Connell named AP Coach of the Year at NFL Honors
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has been voted the 2024 Associated Press Coach of the Year.
The Vikings, widely picked to finish last in the NFC North, ended up playing for a division title and the conference's No. 1 seed in the final game of the regular season. They lost to coach Dan Campbell and the Detriot Lions and then were knocked out of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Rams.
O'Connell got 25 first-place votes, 18 seconds and seven thirds, appearing on all 50 ballots.
"This season was one I'll always remember. A special football team that 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," O'Connell said.
O'Connell is the second Vikings head coach to earn the honor, joining Bud Grant who won it in 1969. He is also the first coach in franchise history to have multiple seasons with at least 13 wins.
"When you look at the list of names, Andy Reid, Dan Campbell, Dan Quinn, you're talking about two coaches that won 15 games this season, but the Minnesota Vikings won 14 games, and nobody expected them to win 14 games," Ron Johnson said. "We know this was a team effort from offense to defense, but Kevin O'Connell deserves a lot of credit for getting this team to head in one direction, for getting everybody to be on one accord."
The 39-year-old coach earned a multiyear extension with the Vikings this offseason that reportedly makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in the league.
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores finished second in Assistant Coach of the Year voting, while quarterback Sam Darnold finished third for Comeback Player of the Year. Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson — now the Chicago Bears' head coach — won the former award, while Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow won the latter.
Late last month, O'Connell was also named the Pro Football Writers of America's Coach of the Year.
Former Viking Jared Allen also received honors Thursday night, becoming one of four inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
