I hold grudges: Mike Zimmer’s take on Vikings exit years later is a little pathetic

The Dallas Cowboys hired Mike Zimmer as their defensive coordinator this offseason, marking his return to the NFL since his tumultuous stint with the Minnesota Vikings came to an end in 2021.

Zimmer served as the Vikings head coach from 2014 to 2021. He led Minnesota to three playoff berths in his eight years with the team, but losses in crucial late-season games ultimately led to his demise. Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf fired Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman after back-to-back losses during the 2021 season ensured the Vikings would miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

After Spielman and Zimmer were fired, they were both given an opportunity to address the team one last time. Spielman, who had been with the Vikings for 16 years, addressed a roomful of players. Zimmer declined, instead opting to release a statement through the team to thank the players.

Mike Zimmer blames Vikings players for getting him fired

Back in Dallas, where he first began his NFL career, the former Vikings head coach reflected on his firing in a conversation with Mark Craig of The Minnesota Star Tribune ($). Rather than sharing the lessons he learned from his mistakes, Zimmer seems to blame his players for his firing.

"They asked me if I wanted to address the team," Zimmer said. "And I said, 'Hell, no. They got me fired.'"

Zimmer, who admitted he holds grudges, says he has "not watched one Minnesota game since." He finished his first head coaching experience with a 72-56-1 record. He led the Vikings to a NFC Championship Game appearance in 2017 but ultimately finished with a 2-3 record in the postseason.

Although Zimmer produced more wins than any coach in Vikings history other than Bud Grant or Dennis Green, his postseason blunders and poor leadership began to wear down the team. The Minnesota Star Tribune granted anonymity to more than 20 people with the team to share their experiences under Zimmer. They described a working environment that was "too impersonal, too unresponsive to change and left them too much on edge."

The Cowboys new defensive coordinator said he's hungry "to prove to myself and other people I can still coach. Because when you get fired, you think you’re the worst in the world."

Controversy seems to follow Zimmer, and it didn't take long to arise in Dallas. Following the hiring, there were reports that Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy wanted to promote assistant coach Joe Whitt Jr. to defensive coordinator but was overruled by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who opted to hire an old friend instead.

Zimmer began his coaching career as an assistant coach for Missouri in 1979 but made his NFL debut with the Cowboys in 1994 when Jones hired him as an assistant coach.