Ed Donatell enters his first season with the Minnesota Vikings as defensive coordinator after spending the past three seasons as defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos (2019-21). The veteran defensive coach brings 31 seasons of NFL experience to Head Coach Kevin O'Connell's staff.
In his 31 seasons in the NFL, Donatell has helped coach teams to 13 playoff appearances and three Super Bowl berths. He was part of the Denver's back-to-back Super Bowl championships during the 1997 (XXXII) and 1998 (XXXIII) seasons, serving as the defensive backs coach from 1995-99. Donatell has helped send 21 players to the Pro Bowl and six players earn All-Pro.Â
He has worked as a defensive coordinator four separate times - the Denver Broncos (2019-21), University of Washington (2008), Atlanta Falcons (2004-06) and the Green Bay Packers (2000-03).Â
In the past two seasons with Denver, Donatell helped the club become the first team since red zone statistics began being tracked in 1995 to lead the league in red zone defense in consecutive yeras (43.9% on 47-of-107 attempts). In 2020, he helped OLB Bradley Chubb and S Justin Simmons to their first Pro Bowl honors. Simmons recorded a career-high five interceptions that season and 96 total tackles, while Chubb, who missed most of the 2019 season battling a knee injury, tallied 7.5 sacks.
His first season as defensive coordinator for the Broncos was in 2019, where he helped the defense finish 10th in scoring defense (19.8 ppg) and 12th in total defense (337.0 ypg). OLB Von Miller was named to his eighth Pro Bowl, while Simmons earned his first All-Pro (Second Team) honor. He was one of just four players to record at least 90 tackles and four interceptions. Simmons, along with veteran defensive backs Kareem Jackson and Chris Harris, Jr., led a defensive backfield that allowed the 11th-fewest passing yards (225.6 ypg) in the league.Â
Prior to returning to Denver as the defensive coordinator, Donatell served as the defensive backs coach, helping his secondaries to a top-seven ranking against the pass in each of the seven seasons, while leading the NFL in interceptions twice (2014, 2018) during that span. Chicago's 75 big passing plays (20+ yards) allowed from 2017-18 were the fewest in the NFL.
The Bears' secondary in 2018 helped the defense rank among the NFL's best in numerous categories, including scoring defense (17.7 ppg – 1st), total defense (299.7 ypg – 3rd), pass defense (219.7 ypg – 7th), yards per play (4.8 – 1st), opponent quarterback rating (72.9 – 1st), interceptions (27 – 1st) and third-down defense (34.2 ypg – 4th). The NFC North Champions featured a pair of First-Team Associated Press All-Pro selections on the back end in CB Kyle Fuller and S Eddie Jackson.
As defensive backs coach for San Francisco from 2011-14, Donatell helped the 49ers rank sixth against the pass (218.2 ypg) while tying for the second-most interceptions (78) in the NFL. The 49ers' Pro Bowl defensive backs — CB Carlos Rogers (2011) as well as safeties Dashon Goldson (2011-12), Donte Whitner (2012), Eric Reid (2013) and Antoine Bethea (2014) — were instrumental in limiting opponents to the second-worst quarterback rating (76.8) during that four-year span. Donatell and General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah overlapped with the 49ers when Adofo-Mensah worked in the 49ers research and development department.
Before joining the 49ers, Donatell spent two seasons (2009-10) with the Broncos, coaching a secondary that included Pro Football Hall of Famer CB Champ Bailey and S Brian Dawkins. In 2009, Denver finished third in the NFL against the pass (186.3 ypg) as Bailey and Dawkins both represented the Broncos in the Pro Bowl.
Before working as the University of Washington's defensive coordinator in 2008 and as a special assistant for the New York Jets in 2007, Donatell was the Falcons' defensive coordinator from 2004-06. Atlanta's defense was one of the NFL's best in sacks and third-down percentage during that three-year period, and it featured four players who earned a total of six Pro Bowl selections.
Donatell spent four seasons as Green Bay's defensive coordinator from 2000-03, helping the Packers record an NFL-best 116 takeaways from 2001-03. Green Bay advanced to the playoffs during each of those three seasons, including the 2001 and 2002 campaigns. Green Bay won the NFC North in 2002. Donatell was part of Denver's back-to-back Super Bowl championships during the 1997 (XXXII) and 1998 (XXXIII) seasons while serving as its defensive backs coach from 1995-99.
The Broncos were seventh in the league in both passing yards per game (199.6) and passing yards per attempt (6.5) allowed en route to earning three playoff berths during Donatell's time on staff. Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Steve Atwater was named to the Pro Bowl three times (1995-96, 1998) under Donatell, and safety Tyrone Braxton was named to the Pro Bowl once (1996) with Donatell as his position coach. The Broncos ranked among the league's top 10 clubs against the pass in four of Donatell's five seasons as defensive backs coach, including during three consecutive years from 1995-97. Donatell worked as the Jets' defensive backs coach from 1990-94, instructing Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott during his final two professional seasons.
The Stow, Ohio, native was an all-conference defensive back, team captain and four-year letterwinner at Glenville State University in West Virginia, where he received his bachelor's degree in physical education before going on to earn his master's in administration from Kent State in 1981, where he got his start as a coach. He and his wife, Shari, have a daughter, Brenna, and two sons who are also football coaches – Tom (Assistant Secondary, Los Angeles Chargers) and Steve (Quality Control - Defense, Minnesota Vikings).
