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News | Minnesota Vikings – vikings.com

Vikings Name Klint Kubiak as Offensive Coordinator

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EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings are going with an in-house candidate as the new offensive coordinator and will also keep the same offensive scheme going forward.

Klint Kubiak, who spent the past two seasons as Minnesota's quarterbacks coach, has been promoted and will be the Vikings offensive play caller in 2021.

The Vikings announced the move on Tuesday.

Kubiak takes over the role his father, Gary Kubiak, held in 2020. The elder Kubiak retired last month after 25 seasons of coaching in the NFL.

Klint Kubiak, who will turn 34 next week, is well-versed in the offensive scheme Minnesota has implemented the past two seasons. The system is based on a wide-zone running scheme highlighted by Dalvin Cook and also features a play-action passing game that plays to the strengths of Kirk Cousins on rollouts and bootlegs.

Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer said after the 2020 season that he wanted the offensive scheme to be the same going forward. The promotion of Kubiak ensures that will happen.

"I'm happy to keep consistency of the scheme and the staff on the offensive side of the ball for 2021. I believe in the system and the coaches we have," Zimmer said in a statement. "Klint will do a great job leading them and continuing to put our players in position to maximize their skills."

Kubiak will have plenty of offensive weapons to work with in 2021. The Vikings offense ranked fourth overall in yards per game (393.3) and finished 11th overall in points at 26.9 per game in 2020.

Cook ran for 1,557 yards and 16 touchdowns in only 14 games, and Adam Thielen recorded 14 touchdowns catches in 15 games.

Justin Jefferson was arguably the league's best rookie, as he had 88 catches for 1,400 yards and seven scores. That yardage total set a Super Bowl-era rookie record, and his receptions total also was a Vikings single-season record by a rookie.

And Kubiak, who joined the Vikings in the 2019 offseason, has played a key role in Cousins' strong play in the past two seasons.

"I am thrilled for Klint to get the opportunity to be our offensive coordinator," Cousins said in a statement. "Having the chance to work with him on a day-to-day to basis the last two seasons has helped me grow both as a player and a person.

"His sharp mind and even-keel demeanor will serve him well as a play-caller," Cousins added. "We will all benefit from the continuity Klint provides, and I'm looking forward to working with him in this new role."

Cousins was a Pro Bowler in 2019 as he threw for 3,603 yards with 26 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He compiled a career-high passer rating of 107.4 and also led Minnesota to a road playoff win in New Orleans.

View the best photos of Vikings QB Kirk Cousins from the 2020 season.

The quarterback turned in another solid season in 2020, as his passer rating of 105.0 was the second-highest of his career. Kubiak's coaching helped Cousins rank eighth overall with 4,265 passing yards, as the quarterback orchestrated a trio of game-winning drives in 2020.

Cousins also threw 35 touchdown passes this past season, which set a personal best for him and was the sixth-most in the league. That total was also the second-most touchdown passes thrown in a single season in Vikings lore, trailing only the 39 that Daunte Culpepper threw back in 2004.

Kubiak will be the Vikings sixth offensive coordinator in eight seasons under Zimmer.

His promotion from quarterbacks coach means some reshuffling on the Vikings offensive staff. Andrew Janocko will move from wide receivers to quarterbacks, and newly hired former NFL wide receiver Keenan McCardell will coach receivers.

Kubiak was Minnesota's quality control/assistant wide receivers coach from 2013-14, and spent 2016-18 with Denver as an offensive assistant/quarterbacks coach. He was the wide receivers coach at the University of Kansas in 2015.

Kubiak played defensive back in college at Colorado State. He appeared in 34 games and recorded three interceptions with 7.0 tackles for loss and a sack.

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