Minnesota Vikings fire head coach Mike Zimmer, GM Rick Spielman

9:17 AM

Sources tell ESPN that the Minnesota Vikings have fired coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman.

The moves are expected to be announced Monday, one day after the Vikings finished their season with a 31-17 victory over the Bears. The Vikings missed out on the playoffs for the first time during the tenure of Mike Zimmer.

After six seasons as the defensive coach in Cincinnati, Mike Zimmer was hired by the Vikings in 2014. He held the same position in Atlanta and Dallas. He started his coaching career with the Cowboys in 1994 and went on to coach colleges and universities.

This is the first time in his career that he has been fired.

The Vikings general manager has been with the team since 2012 The Vikings made the playoffs six times during Spielman's time as an executive, reaching theNFC Championship Game twice.

In eight seasons with the Vikings, Zimmer compiled a 72-56-1 record, which averages out to 9.1 wins per season, and made three trips to the playoffs. The Minnesota defense was the top-ranked in the league.

The Vikings selected Adrian Peterson in the seventh round of the 2007 draft. In 2012 he was named the Most Valuable Player and the Offensive Freshman of the Year. Jefferson was drafted in the 2020 draft. Jefferson set an NFL record for most receiving yards in his first two seasons.

The signing of quarterback Kirk Cousins, who signed a three-year, fully guaranteed contract with the Vikings, will forever be tied to Spielman. The Vikings made it to the playoffs once.

During the regular season, the Vikings were 132-123-2 and 3-6 in the playoffs.