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Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The Minnesota Vikings are expected to hire Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell as their new head coach. ESPN, NFL Media and the Pioneer Press reported the Vikings' interest in O'Connell for their head-coaching job on Wednesday night. The deal can't be finalized until after Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, when O'Connell and the Rams face the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Finalists for the Vikings' head-coaching vacancy included Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, who met with Vikings officials for about nine hours Wednesday.
Harbaugh, who planned for the interview as if he was going to be hired, didn't receive an offer from the Vikings before he left Minnesota, according to reports. ESPN reported that Harbaugh called Michigan officials after the interview to inform them he was returning to the school for the 2022 season.
The 58-year-old Harbaugh told Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel that his attempted NFL comeback wouldn't be a recurring issue, according to ESPN, and he would be staying with the Wolverines for as long as the school wants him.
Harbaugh posted a 44-19-1 record over four seasons (2011-14) with the San Francisco 49ers. He guided the franchise to the NFC Championship Game in three of his four seasons and took the 49ers to the Super Bowl during his second year, but he was fired after going 8-8 in 2014.
After his short stint in San Francisco, Harbaugh was hired by Michigan, his alma mater, in 2015. Across seven seasons, he has led the Wolverines to a 61-24 record.
O'Connell, who broke into coaching in 2015 as an assistant with the Cleveland Browns, served as a special projects assistant for the 49ers in 2016 when new Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was in San Francisco's front office from 2013-19.
The 36-year-old O'Connell became Washington's quarterbacks coach in 2017 when current Vikings signal-caller Kirk Cousins was in his final season with the team. O'Connell was eventually promoted to offensive coordinator in 2019, but he wasn't retained when Ron Rivera became Washington's head coach in 2020.
Rams head coach Sean McVay hired O'Connell shortly later as the team's offensive coordinator. O'Connell has held that role for the past two seasons, though McVay still calls the offensive plays.
The Vikings fired former head coach Mike Zimmer, along with general manager Rick Spielman, on Jan. 10. Minnesota finished the 2021 season with an 8-9 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second straight year.
