Welcome to the All-Time Favorite Viking Team series. We’re going through and voting by position for your favorite Minnesota Vikings. We’ve completed the on the field portion and we’re on to the coaching staff.
Offensive Coordinator was yesterday and we’re on to our Defensive Coordinator now. I ignored (almost all) of the one and two year DCs.
Neill Armstrong (1971-1977)
Team Record as DC: 72-25-1 Regular Season (74.0%) / 7-6 Playoffs (53.8%)
Armstrong was the defensive coordinator for many of the Vikings’ best seasons in the 1970s. He was the DC on three Super Bowl teams. Armstrong came to the team from the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos and he left for the Chicago Bears’ Head Coaching job in 1978. He is one of only two people to have played and coached in the NFL and CFL, the other is Bud Grant. He won the NFL Championship as a player with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1948 & 1949. Armstrong was the DC in 1971 when Alan Page won MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.
Brian Flores (2023-present)
Team Record as DC: 21-13 Regular Season (61.8%) / 0-1 Playoffs
The Vikings were fortunate to fall into Flores being available because of some disputes with the Miami Dolphins and the league. Flores’ is known for bringing the heat and confusing the quarterback. His defense has been a pleasure to watch the past two seasons. I wouldn’t be surprised if he leaves sometime in the near future for his next Head Coaching opportunity.
Bob Hollway (1967-1970, 1978-1983, 1985)
Team Record as DC: 86-71-4 Regular Season (54.7%) / 3-6 (33.3%)
Hollway was the DC for the Vikings’ first Super Bowl appearance. That led to him being hired as the Head Coach of the St. Louis Cardinals. He returned to the DC role 8 years later. Hollway resigned from the Seattle Seahawks to take the position with the Vikings. The Seahwaks claimed the Vikings tampered with Hollway while he was still under contract.
Floyd Peters (1986-1990)
Team Record as DC: 44-35 Regular Season (55.7%) / 3-3 Playoffs (50%)
Peters was Jerry Burns’ DC. Burns brought him in to replace Bob Hollway. He was the DC for Keith Millard’s Defensive Player of the Year season. Peters focused on pressuring the QB and often used shifts to the weak side of the offense to create imbalances.
Tony Dungy (1992-1995)
Team Record as DC: 38-26 Regular Season (59.4%) / 0-3 Playoffs
Dungy is obviously more well known as a Head Coach than he is a coordinator. He was a long time Pittsburgh Steelers assitant under Chuck Knoll, who Dungy also played for. He is known for his devout faith and being an all around good person. He was the first African American Head Coach to win the Super Bowl, when he won in 2006 with the Indianapolis Colts. The Vikings promoted Mike Tice the same offseason Dungy was hired by the Colts.
George Edwards (2014-2019)
Team Record as DC: 57-38-1 Regular Season (59.9%) / 2-3 Playoffs (40%)
Edwards was DC under Mike Zimmer after working with him with the Dallas Cowboys. It seemed like he had a Head Coaching future at one point. He is currently the OLB Coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Foge Fazio (1996-1999)
Team Record as DC: 43-21 Regular Season (67.2%) / 3-4 Playoffs (42.9%)
Fazio was a very good defensive coach in college in the 70s and 80s. He moved to the NFL in 1988 with the Atlanta Falcons. He came to the Vikings from the New York Jets. Fazio resigned after the 1999 season. There was a disagreement over Green’s firing of inside linebackers coach Tom Olivadotti. Green and Fazio agreed to part ways.
Leslie Frazier (2007-2010)
Team Record as DC: 33-25 Regular Season (56.9%) / 1-2 Playoffs (33.3%)
Frazier was hired as DC under Head Coach Brad Childress. He served in that role until he took over as Interim Head Coach during the 2010 season. He is still checking all the tape he promised to during his press conferences.
Mike Tomlin (2006)
Team Record as DC: 6-10 Regular Season (37.5%)
Tomlin was a shooting star coming from the Dungy coaching tree. 2006 was his only year as a coordinator before the Pittsburgh Steelers hired him as their Head Coach. Tomlin was young, but I always think about hiring Brad Childress that year and seeing Tomlin get hired the next.
Offensive Coordinator – Jerry Burns (1968-1985)
Defensive Tackles – Alan Page (1967-1978) & John Randle (1990-2000)
Defensive Ends – Carl Eller (1964-1978) & Jared Allen (2008-2013)
Safety – Harrison Smith (2012-present) & Paul Krause (1968-1979)
Cornerbacks – Antoine Winfield (2004-2012) & Bobby Bryant (1967-1980)
Outside Linebackers – Matt Blair (1974-1985) & Chad Greenway (2006-2016)
Inside Linebacker – Scott Studwell (1977-1990)
Kick Returner – Cordarelle Patterson (2013-2016)
Punter – Greg Coleman (1978-1987)
Kicker – Fred Cox (1963-1977)
Running Back – Adrian Peterson (2007-2016)
Quarterback – Fran Tarkenton (1961-1966, 1972-1978)
Wide Receivers – Randy Moss (1998-2004, 2010) & Cris Carter (1990-2001)
Tight Ends – Steve Jordan (1982-1994) & Jim Kleinsasser (1999-2011)
Offensive Tackles – Ron Yary (1968-1981) & Gary Zimmerman (1986-1992)
Offensive Guards – Randall McDaniel (1988-1999) & Steve Hutchinson (2006-2011)
Center – Mick Tingelhoff (1962-1978)
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