Ed Donatell was fired from the Vikings as defensive coordinator after only one season at Minnesota

the Minnesota Vikings They make a change to their defensive label header. On Thursday, head coach Kevin O’Connell issued a statement announcing that the organization has moved on From Defensive Coordinator Ed Donatelle. O’Connell added that the team will begin the search for a new defensive coordinator immediately.

“Today I informed Ed Donatelle that we will be going in a different direction at defensive coordinator in 2023,” O’Connell’s statement read. “While this was a difficult decision because of the great respect I have for Ed as a person and coach, I believe it is the right move for the future of our football team. I want to thank Ed for his commitment to the Vikings this past season, for the positive impact he has had on our players and coaches and for his role in helping me as head coach.” For the first year, we are all wishing Ed and his wife, Shari, the best for the future.

“We will immediately begin our search to fill this critical role as we continue to build a championship standard for the Minnesota Vikings.”

Donatel was brought on board to lead Minnesota’s defense last season, joining O’Connell’s staff as he rose to head coach after being the offensive coordinator for the tournament. Los Angeles Rams. The 65-year-old had been in the NFL dating back to 1990 when he broke through as a defensive backs coach with New York Jets. He has bounced around the league since then and has held the DC title for various teams: Packers (2000-03), hawk (2004-06) and Washington (2008) and Bronco (2019-21).

Prior to taking the job with the Vikings, Donatel initially accepted a senior defensive role with the Vikings Seahawks But he decided to leave Seattle upon the change to become the defensive coordinator at Minnesota.

During the season, the Vikings’ defense proved to be the team’s Achilles’ heel. She allows the second-most total yards in the NFL, second-most passing yards, and is tied for third-most points allowed. Minnesota’s defense also ranked 27th in the NFL in DVOA. In losing Super Wild Card Weekend to giantsDonatell’s defense surrendered 31 points, 431 yards of total offense, and allowed New York an average of 6.3 yards per game as Minnesota was sent home after a 13-4 campaign and being the No. 2 seed in the NFC. All of that proved enough for O’Connell to seek new management for his defense moving forward.