Vikings: 3 worst moves of the 2022 offseason
By John Buhler
2. Not being able to pull the trigger on Jim Harbaugh could set this franchise back
While Kevin O’Connell has the chance to be an excellent head coach for Minnesota, Vikings fans will be quick to point out who they could have hired instead if he struggles: Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh. Though Harbaugh led his alma mater to the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history, he played flirt with an NFL job for a reason. Now, it is so awkward…
Harbaugh has won everywhere he has been as a head coach. From the San Diego Toreros, to the Stanford Cardinal, to the San Francisco 49ers, to Michigan, Harbaugh has proven he can coach at all levels. If he was not the right fit, that’s fine, but it felt like the Vikings’ head-coaching decision was more about Harbaugh not getting the job than O’Connell leaving the Los Angeles Rams.
The strangest part is Kwesi Adofo-Mensah used to work with Harbaugh for years in San Francisco. A reunion felt inevitable, especially when Harbaugh seemingly abandoned the Wolverines the week of National Signing Day. He may have thought he was getting the job when he got on that plane. Though Michigan will get over this entanglement, Minnesota is not without fault either.
If O’Connell fails and Harbaugh leaves Michigan for another NFL team, Minnesota may regret this.