Vikings staff earns top spot in coaching rankings

The Minnesota Vikings have been called a lot of things over the years, but heading into 2025 they now carry a new label: the NFL’s best-coached team.

In ESPN’s annual ranking of all 32 coaching staffs, head coach Kevin O’Connell, defensive coordinator Brian Flores and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips earned the No. 1 spot after finishing 10th last year. Analyst Ben Solak pointed to O’Connell’s offensive growth and Flores’ defensive mastery as reasons for the leap.

“When I ranked the Vikings in this exercise last season, I sang the praises of Flores, the defensive coordinator who had done the most with the least in 2023,” Solak wrote. “But I wondered if O’Connell…could innovate and evolve beyond the tried-and-true system he had run with Kirk Cousins to that point. What could he offer a younger quarterback in need of development? The answer: a whole lot.”

That evolution showed last season when O’Connell managed to coax the best stretch of Sam Darnold’s career while rookie J.J. McCarthy recovered from a knee injury. Under O’Connell, Darnold pushed the ball downfield with confidence and efficiency, consistently finding open targets in ways he had never managed earlier in his career.

“O’Connell has easily leaped into that utmost echelon of offensive designers,” Solak wrote. “And Flores remains the cream of the defensive crop.”

That balance has extended beyond X’s and O’s. O’Connell drew praise for elevating the locker room during Minnesota’s 14-win campaign, while Phillips, his longtime partner since their Rams days, has steadied an offense centered on Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. On the other side, Flores’ defense forced one of the league’s highest takeaway totals, giving Minnesota a disruptive edge that matched its aggressive passing game.

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The recognition comes with pressure, however. The NFC North was the only division to send three teams to the playoffs last season, and McCarthy now takes over as starter with expectations that Minnesota can go even further. Their 2025 schedule only raises the stakes. The Vikings are tied for the fifth-toughest slate in the league, facing divisional heavyweights Detroit, Chicago and Green Bay twice, plus non-conference tests against the Eagles, Ravens and Bengals.

Still, ESPN’s ranking leaves little doubt about the confidence in the sideline leadership. “There is no doubt that O’Connell & Co. elevate players more than any other coaching staff in football,” Solak concluded.

If the Vikings are to push past last year’s early postseason exit, their rise to No. 1 on ESPN’s list suggests they have the right staff in place to do it.