Scoggins: Kevin O’Connell’s leadership has helped Vikings navigate turbulent summer

Not long after he became a first-time NFL head coach, Mike Zimmer sought advice from his mentor, Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells. One of the nuggets of wisdom that Parcells passed along was to accept and be able to manage the unpredictable nature of the job.

In other words, stuff happens. Sometimes serious situations. A head coach encounters different circumstances or problems every day that are uniquely his to solve.

Kevin O’Connell’s summer has been a testament to that reality.

The Vikings already have faced a series of emotionally jarring news. The accumulation of it goes beyond the norm and has required every bit of O’Connell’s stewardship.

Training camp began in sorrow with the death of rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson in a car crash.

Receiver Jordan Addison was arrested for drunken driving days later in Los Angeles.

Rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first preseason game.

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores got pulled into a brush fire that gained national attention after Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa called his former head coach a “terrible person” in an interview.

On the field, the team has signed five cornerbacks since training camp started, a highly unusual development for one position.

All of that is a lot to process, while simultaneously trying to prepare a team for the season.

“My job is to be authentic and be the same guy every day,” O’Connell said earlier in camp. “Your culture and your foundation of your locker room and your people and your building are tested in moments of adversity. It really didn’t just begin this summer. It’s been a stretch now where I think we’ve proven to ourselves within the walls of the building and hopefully to our fan base that we’re ready to withstand and persevere and overcome.”

The word “distraction” has become an overbaked cliché in sports. But a coach’s ability to steer individuals or an entire team through unforeseen situations or tragic moments is something that can only be understood by going through it.

Every coach’s job status hinges mostly on wins and losses and playoff success. The job itself involves a human element that cannot be quantified on a scoreboard.

In late July, O’Connell spoke tearfully at Jackson’s funeral on behalf of the organization, a somber moment that he described as an “honor.” The death of a player is any organization’s worst fear, and the head coach is responsible for creating a space that helps employees navigate their grief while moving forward with business.

O’Connell has handled tragedy gracefully.

“Kevin’s last couple months have been like every month I’ve ever known him,” Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said. “He’s the man. He’s got a great heart and is a great person to start. He cares about people and he’s extremely competitive and very smart. Really can’t say enough about how he handles difficult situations, stressful times. You just know what you’re going to get, day in and day out.

“[He] has a way about saying the right thing to the team, getting the right message to the staff,” Phillips continued. “Are you born with that stuff? I think, maybe. I think he’s just got a natural leadership and, obviously, playing the quarterback position for as long as he did, you kind of develop those things in a role like that.”

NFL seasons don’t follow a predetermined playbook. The 2010 Vikings season featured enough off-the-field news and never-seen-before circumstances that it deserves special recognition. The roof literally collapsed that season.

Kickoff to the 2024 Vikings season is two weeks away, but the buildup already has challenged the team’s ability to navigate difficult circumstances. O’Connell has had a lot to manage and process beyond football preparation.

“The excitement and joy I have coming to work every day is never going to change,” he said. “And if anything, it just gives you more motivation to attack it and make sure I’m doing my job as best as I possibly can for all these players and coaches.”