Vikings fire coach Zimmer, longtime GM Spielman

The Minnesota Vikings fired head coach Mike Zimmer and longtime general manager Rick Spielman, the team announced Monday.

Minnesota recorded its second straight losing campaign, finishing a disappointing 8-9. The Vikings have now missed the playoffs in two consecutive years.

Zimmer, 65, went 72-56-1 with Minnesota and helped the team make three playoff appearances (2015, 2017, and 2019). He posted a 2-3 postseason record.

Spielman first joined the Vikings in 2006 as vice president of player personnel. The 59-year-old, who was promoted to GM in 2012, hired Zimmer to replace Leslie Frazier in 2014.

The Vikings lacked consistency throughout the Zimmer and Spielman tenure, failing to capture double-digit wins in consecutive campaigns. Minnesota's best run in recent years came in the 2017 season, when the team won the NFC North and reached the NFC title game.

Zimmer, a former defensive coordinator, helped the Vikings' defense finish top 10 in scoring for five straight seasons from 2015-19. However, the unit took a step back in the last two years, ranking 29th and 24th in points allowed in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

Spielman and Zimmer were also responsible for signing quarterback Kirk Cousins in 2018. Cousins, who's 33-29-1 as a starter in Minnesota, inked a fully guaranteed three-year deal worth $84 million with the Vikings in free agency that year.

Minnesota's next head coach will have a lot of talent to work with. Led by running back Dalvin Cook and wide receiver Justin Jefferson, the Vikings have one of the NFL's most gifted offensive units.