The Vikings are adding Derek Warehime to their staff as an assistant offensive line coach to work alongside the newly promoted Keith Carter, the team announced Friday, Feb. 13.
Warehime is a longtime coach at the college level. He was hired in December to serve as Kentucky’s run game coordinator and to assist with the O-line.
Previously, Warehime was the offensive line coach at Coastal Carolina (2023-25), the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at New Mexico (2020-22) and coached in various roles, including offensive line coach, at Texas (2017-19). He’s been a full-time coach since the 2008 season when he started at University of Arkansas-Monticello.
The Vikings promoted Carter in January after he served as an assistant to offensive line coach Chris Kuper last year. Kuper’s contract was not renewed when it expired at the end of this season; he’s since been hired as the Eagles’ O-line coach.
Offensive line continued to be a sore spot for the Vikings in 2025 even after efforts to bolster the group via free agency and the draft. Four of the Vikings’ five starting linemen missed time because of injuries, and the unit overall posted the NFL’s second-worst allowed sack rate at 11%.
During two of his three seasons at Coastal Carolina, Warehime’s offensive line ranked in the Top 25 in the FBS in fewest sacks allowed. The Chanticleers finished with over 2,000 rushing and passing yards in all three of his seasons with the program.
Warehime is the fifth addition to O’Connell’s coaching staff in an offseason that’s featured plenty of turnover. Though O’Connell retained all his coordinators after defensive coordinator Brian Flores signed a new contract in January, assistant head coach Mike Pettine retired and defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones left to become the Commanders defensive coordinator.
O’Connell hired Frank Smith to replace Pettine and Gerald Alexander to fill Jones’ role. O’Connell also added Ryan Nielsen as defensive line coach after Marcus Dixon’s departure.
