Vikings fire defensive coordinator Ed Donatell after 1 season, playoff loss
Next season, the Minnesota Vikings will have a new defensive coordinator.
Thursday’s announcement by the Vikings was that defensive coordinator Ed Donatell has been fired after just one season.
“Today, I informed Ed Donatell that we will be moving in a different direction as defensive coordinator in 2023,” Kevin O’Connell, head coach, said in a statement. This was a hard decision due to the immense respect I have Ed as a coach. However, I believe it’s the right move for our football team’s long-term future.
“I want Ed to thank for his commitment to Vikings this past year, for the positive influence he had upon our player and coaches, as well as for helping me lay this foundation as a first-year coach.”
Donatell has been involved in coaching the league since 1990. He’s worked as a defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos before joining the Vikings in 2022 — when O’Connell replaced Mike Zimmer.
Despite winning 13 games last season, which was the second most in franchise history, Donatell’s defense was among the worst across the league. The Vikings allowed 25.1 point per game, which was higher than the Chicago Bears or Arizona Cardinals. They also allowed 388.7 yards per match, which was better that only the Detroit Lions.
On Sunday 31-24, the New York Giants eliminated them from the playoffs. The Vikings lost 431 yards to the Giants. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones led five drives that scored at least 75 yards each.
It’s not known who O’Connell will select to replace Donatell next season. However, he stated that the search will “immediately commence.”