Brian Angelichio (an-juh-LEEK-o) enters his third season with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 as the tight ends/passing game coordinator after working with the Carolina Panthers from 2020-21. Angelichio adds nearly three decades of coaching experience, both collegiate and professional, to Head Coach Kevin O'Connell's staff.
The 2023 season marked the second for both Angelichio and TE T.J. Hockenson as Vikings. Under Angelichio's guidance, Hockenson finished second among tight ends in receptions (95) and receptions of at least 20 yards (13), tied for second in receiving first downs (48) and was fourth in receiving yards (960), despite missing the final two games of the regular season. Hockenson's 95 receptions marked the most by a tight end in a single season in franchise history, topping Kyle Rudolph's 83 catches in 2016, and his 95 catches are the 18th most in a single season in NFL history among all TEs. He was also just 45 yards shy of surpassing TE Joe Senser (1,004 receiving yards in 1981) for the most receiving yards by a TE in a single season in franchise history.
Angelichio helped the Vikings finish the 2023 season fifth in the league in passing yards per game (256.4). They were one of just three teams to rank inside the top six in the league in passing yards per game in each of the past two seasons, joining Miami (fourth in 2022, first in 2023) and Kansas City (first in 2022, sixth in 2023). Minnesota finished sixth in passing yards per game in Angelichio's first year as passing game coordinator.
In his first season in Minnesota in 2022, Angelicho coached Hockenson, who was acquired by the Vikings in a trade with the Detroit Lions on Nov. 1, 2022, to his second Pro Bowl (2022, 2020), becoming the first team's first tight end to be selected to the Pro Bowl since Rudolph in 2017. Hockenson caught 65 passes for 730 receiving yards and four touchdowns as a Viking. His 86 total receptions in 2022, were the second-most by a tight end, behind only Travis Kelce (110). In the team's matchup against. New England in Week 12, Hockenson set the NFL record for most catches (25) by a tight end in their first four games with a team.
During his time with the Panthers, Angelichio helped develop TEs Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas. Tremble, a 2021 third-round pick (83rd overall) from Notre Dame, finished his rookie season catching 20 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown, a 5-yard pass from QB Sam Darnold during the Week 5 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
In 2020, Thomas recorded 20 receptions for 145 yards, while helping block for running back Mike Davis, who was replacing the injured RB Christian McCaffrey. Davis posted his first career season with over 1,000 scrimmage yards.
Prior to his time with the Panthers, Angelichio coached the tight ends with Washington, spending one season with head coach Kevin O'Connell (offensive coordinator) in 2019. Following an injury to TE Vernon Davis, Angelichio guided TE Jeremy Sprinkle to career highs in receptions (26), receiving yards (241) and touchdowns (one).Â
Angelichio worked in Green Bay for three seasons (2016-18), coaching TEs Jimmy Graham, Martellus Bennett, Jared Cook and Richard Rodgers. Angelichio helped Graham to 636 receiving yards in 2018, which was the second-most on the team, trailing only WR Davante Adams. During the Packers run to the 2016 NFC Championship Game, Angelichio coached Cook (377) and Rodgers (271) to a combined 648 receiving yards, becoming one of five NFC teams with two tight ends who posted more than 250 receiving yards.Â
As the Cleveland Browns tight ends coach during the 2015 season, Angelichio helped TE Gary Barnidge to a career year, with 79 receptions for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns. Barnidge led the Browns in receiving, and his standout numbers earned him his lone-career Pro Bowl selection. The first time Angelichio worked with O'Connell (quarterbacks coach) was in 2015 under current Vikings Assistant Head Coach/Outside Linebackers Coach Mike Pettine. While with Cleveland in 2014, Angelichio assisted in TE Jordan Cameron recording 424 receiving yards, the second most of his career.
Prior to the Browns, Angelichio coached tight ends with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2012-13. In 2013, Angelichio helped transform undrafted rookie TE Tim Wright into the Bucs' second-leading receiver, posting what would remain a career-high 54 receptions for 571 yards and five touchdowns. Wright finished the year as the only rookie tight end to surpass 500 receiving yards that season.
Before his time in the NFL, Angelichio made stops at Rutgers, the University of Pittsburgh, SUNY-Brockport and Ithaca College. While serving as the tight ends coach at Pitt and Rutgers, six-time NFL Pro Bowl RB LeSean McCoy (Pitt) accumulated 3,365 scrimmage yards and 36 total touchdowns in 2007-08 and WR Mohamed Sanu (Rutgers) posted 1,206 receiving yards in 2011. Â
As a player, Angelichio was a four-year starter at outside linebacker for St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y., and he also served as team captain for their baseball team. Angelichio later received a master's degree at Ithaca College.
