Overview
- Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced Pettine’s retirement at the Vikings’ end-of-season press conference on Jan. 13, 2026.
- Pettine, 59, had been Minnesota’s assistant head coach since 2022 and coached outside linebackers over the past two seasons.
- His NFL résumé includes defensive coordinator stints with the Jets, Bills, and Packers and a 2014–15 tenure as Browns head coach.
- The departure is a retirement rather than a move to another team.
- The opening adds to a busy defensive offseason that includes safeties coach Michael Hutchings departing for college, defensive backs coach Daronte Jones drawing coordinator interviews, and uncertainty over Brian Flores’ status.