One day after firing Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as their general manager, the Minnesota Vikings added to head coach Kevin O’Connell’s staff on Saturday by naming four assistants, according to NFL Media.
Frank Smith, the Miami Dolphins’ offensive coordinator for the past four seasons, reportedly was named the Vikings’ assistant head coach, while Keith Carter was promoted to offensive line coach, Gerald Alexander was tabbed as defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator, and Ryan Nielsen was named defensive line coach.
Carter was the assistant line coach in Minnesota last season, while Alexander was the defensive backs coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nielsen was senior defensive assistant for the Buffalo Bills in 2025 and has been a defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Wes Phillips is the Vikings’ offensive coordinator, having held the position since 2022. He agreed last June to a contract extension through the 2026 season.
The firing of Adofo-Mensah on Friday came eight months after he signed a multi-year contract extension with the Vikings. It also came a day after he acknowledged he has endured sleepless nights since allowing quarterback Sam Darnold to depart in free agency last offseason.
Darnold signed a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks, who will face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8.
Minnesota missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record in 2025 after going 34-17 with two postseason appearances since Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell arrived ahead of the 2022 season.
Rob Brzezinski, executive vice president of football operations, will lead the Vikings through the 2026 NFL Draft. The team said it will conduct a thorough search for its next general manager after the draft.
