The Minnesota Vikings hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as general manager, now the club could be moving closer towards landing its next head coach.
After conducting numerous interviews in the past two weeks, the Vikings recently met with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, with the former NFL head coach also informing the Wolverines. While it’s the first meeting between the two sides, it might not be the last.
Coming off his best season at Michigan, Harbaugh is very interested in an NFL return. Originally connected to the Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears’ openings, he is now emerging as a potential candidate for the Vikings. However, there will be competition from two top NFL coaching candidates.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Minnesota Vikings will hold in-person interviews next week with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans and Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell.
In addition, per Pelissero, Minnesota will continue to explore the possibility of hiring Harbaugh and there is a belief that the organization will bring him in for a second interview.
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All three Vikings coaching candidates have a connection to Adofo-Mensah. He was previously in the 49ers’ research department from 2013-’19, overlapping with Harbaugh and Ryans. O’Connell also worked within the organization during that time.
While there is no specific timetable for a hiring, it would be a surprise if Minnesota doesn’t announce its next head coach days before the Super Bowl.