EAGAN, Minn. — Kevin O'Connell has had a busy 24-plus hours.

The newly minted AP NFL Coach of the Year visited Radio Row in New Orleans the morning after NFL Honors and ran the gamut of media outlets.

O'Connell pulled up to Sirius XM's The Opening Drive and caught up with a familiar face in Patrick Peterson, cohosting with Amber Theoharis. He received a warm welcome from Peterson, who played in Minnesota during O'Connell's 2022 inaugural season at the helm.

The veteran cornerback recalled the experience as "a remarkable year" that included the Vikings overcoming a 33–0 halftime deficit to defeat the Colts 39–36 in overtime and complete the largest comeback in NFL history.

"I know you probably remember that halftime speech, Coach," Peterson said. "And I told you this on our exit meeting, I was just proud of the way you came in and commanded the room.

"Where did you get that ability? Or where did you learn that, just coming in and commanding the room and being yourself?" Peterson asked O'Connell. "Because I've been around a couple of rookie coaches, and it was a different experience. But the way you came in, it was just so exceptional."

O'Connell graciously accepted the compliment and requited it, recalling also how Peterson responded in those moments of adversity.

"I remember Patrick Peterson saying, 'All we've got to do is score five touchdowns; we've done it before, and I remember thinking, 'Have we?' " O'Connell quipped. "But ultimately, Pat, your leadership on that team made it very, very easy for me year one, because I had great players and great people."

He noted having "comfort" knowing his message "would be received from the team every day" and said it was that kind of start that's enabled him to ultimately be named NFL Coach of the Year just three seasons in.

O'Connell shared with Peterson and Theoharis the way he's passed advice on to other coaches stepping into new roles for the 2025 campaign.

"The thing I think is most important is whatever you are, authentically yourself, is who you have to be in front of the players," he explained. "Because if you're ever trying to be something that you're not, or you're putting on an act, you're trying to be some other coach that you either had at some point or had an impact on you — that's great, but you've got to be yourself, because your guys will sniff that out right away. They'll know it. And then they'll start questioning.

"If you're going to be a head coach and stand in front of your team, you better have something to say," O'Connell added. "I always take a lot of pride in having messaging. What's the big picture? What's the daily focus? And try to maximize that every day."

In addition to reminiscing about the Vikings 2022 season, Peterson and Theoharis looked to the future and asked O'Connell about Minnesota's quarterback room that features both Sam Darnold and 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy.

"I saw a player that I believed was capable of so much in this league, capable of winning 14 games," O'Connell said of Darnold. "We said, 'Sam, it's going to be about every day maximizing who and what you are, which we have a load of confidence in, that you're going to be everything need and more.' And his teammates felt that. And before you know, he was walking different. He was talking different. He was, you know, assuming that confidence I always hoped to build in a player.

"And then you've got J.J. MCarthy who, nobody was more elated to draft J.J. McCarthy than me," he continued. "Got to know him really well through the process, wildly successful everywhere he's ever been, made of the right stuff, talented, and he's healthy now, so we're happy to have a whole offseason."

O'Connell noted there are multiple options for the Vikings this offseason, including those that would involve Darnold staying in Minnesota, and also emphasized he believes Darnold is "the marquee player at the position" in free agency.

"If he gets a chance to really see what's out there, I think a lot of teams are going to be hoping to have that kind of production from Sam Darnold and their team," O'Connell said. "And if that's the case, if that's how it all shakes out, nobody will be more proud of Sam than me."