Vikings Kevin O’Connell named coach of the year by the PFWA

Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell was named NFL Coach of the Year by the Pro Football Writers’ Association on Thursday. O’Connell was also named a finalist for the Associated Press Coach of the Year Award on Thursday.

The PFWA and AP awards are separate and not necessarily awarded to the same recipient; for example, Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans was named the 2023 PFWA Coach of the Year, while the Cleveland Browns’ Kevin Stefanski won the AP award. All PFWA members vote for the PFWA awards, while only 40 football writers vote for the AP awards.

O’Connell led the Vikings to a 14–3 regular season record in 2024 to become the first Viking coach to win at least 13 games in a regular season twice. He was largely credited for the resurgence of quarterback Sam Darnold, who had by far the best season of his career, setting career highs in passing yards (4,319), touchdowns (35) and completion percentage (66.2%). Minnesota’s over-under in wins entering the season was 6.5 games, a mark the team surpassed by a long way.

O’Connell received a multi-year contract extension after the season.

O’Connell is also a finalist for AP Coach of the Year; The AP awards will be announced Feb. 6 at the NFL Honors ceremony in New Orleans. In addition to O’Connell, other Vikings eligible for AP awards are Darnold, who is a finalist for Comeback Player of the Year, and defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who is a finalist for Assistant Coach of the Year.