Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell Finally Getting the NFL COTY Respect He Deserves…?
Kevin O’Connell has been appropriately celebrated by Minnesota Vikings fans all season. The leader of the locker room has his team standing at 12-2 through 15 weeks. No one expected the Vikings to be this good, and the best may be yet to come.
Vegas coming around on Minnesota Vikings Kevin O’Connell
For whatever reason it has taken Vegas quite some time to adjust Kevin O’Connell’s Coach of the Year odds. Despite a 6.5 win preseason over/under projection, Minnesota has balled out. O’Connell isn’t just surpassing expectations, he is setting new ones. Now the favorite to win the yearly award, those future bets could pay off.
| Sportsbook | Odds |
| DraftKings | +110 |
| FanDuel | +110 |
Thus far O’Connell has trailed a pair of Dan’s. Both Campbell and Quinn have held the top spot in place of the Vikings leader. Now it’s O’Connell taking over with Campbell behind him, and FanDuel has the odds longer (+340) than DraftKings (+250).
KOach of the Year. pic.twitter.com/sp8JGB1l2o
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 17, 2024
As Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio astutely described on Tuesday, Coach of the Year typically goes to a team that surprises. Minnesota has done that, but they are achieving much more than unexpected results.
“So, yes, O’Connell should be a serious candidate for coach of the year. And not just because he’s the coach of a team that is surprising everyone the most.”
Mike Florio on Kevin O’Connell (Pro Football Talk)
O’Connell didn’t begin the season with the most talent. He has turned Sam Darnold into a $30 million per year player. His quarterback has a career-best 29 touchdowns while throwing for 3,530 yards. He has the entire roster bringing out the best of themselves.
Not many cutting this one loose..@Vikings pic.twitter.com/y1xBRkX0sx
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) December 17, 2024
Related: One Year Around Bud Grant Shaped Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell
It’s great that the Detroit Lions are good (actually, no it isn’t). They were expected to be. Dan Campbell is doing his job, and he might even be getting in the way of it at times. There’s no question who has coached the best this season.
Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Convincing MNF Win Over Bears
Minnesota has a few more games for O’Connell to substantiate his claim. He’ll almost certainly surpass the 13 wins he posted during his first season at the helm. This is a much greater achievement regardless.
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