Vikings to hire new special teams coordinator
Minnesota Vikings' Dan Bailey (5) misses a field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in Tampa, Fla.[AP Photo/Jason Behnken]
The Minnesota Vikings are now focused on the offseason after missing the playoffs this season. On the to-do list this offseason will include replacing at least one coordinator and possibly two.
During a season-ending press conference on Tuesday, Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer announced the team will allow Special Teams Coordinator Marwan Maalouf’s contract to expire this offseason and won’t bring him back for next year.
Maalouf had been the special teams coordinator for the Vikings for the past two seasons. He’d previously coached for the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns in his 14 years in the NFL before joining the Vikings.
The news comes after the Vikings had one of the worst special teams units in the NFL, which included struggles by kicker Dan Bailey, who missed seven of his 22 field goal attempts and another six of his 43 extra-point attempts.
Zimmer also said offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak will take some time to decide what he wants to do after reports suggested Kubiak would retire this offseason.
Kubiak, like Maalouf, joined the Vikings before the 2019 season but started in an advisory role before taking over as offensive coordinator ahead of the 2020 season when former offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski left to become the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
The Vikings finished the 2020 season with a 7-9 record and will have the No. 14 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.