Minnesota Vikings: Gary Kubiak the right choice for offensive coordinator

With the Minnesota Vikings reportedly elevating Gary Kubiak to offensive coordinator, here’s why that move was the right choice for the Vikings.

About a week after the Minnesota Vikings found out they would have to search for a new offensive coordinator heading into the 2020 season, the Vikings have reportedly come to a decision as to who will lead the offense this year, one Gary Kubiak.

Shortly after the conclusion of its run in the postseason, which ended in a disappointing 27-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round, Minnesota learned that its offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski was leaving the organization to become the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

The departure of Stefanski, who finished up his first full season as offensive coordinator for the Vikings in 2019, left a hole in the offensive when it came to who would call the plays from the sideline going into a new season.

On Thursday, Kubiak was reportedly named the new Vikings offensive coordinator, taking over the play-calling in an offensive unit that is led by quarterback Kirk Cousins, running back Dalvin Cook and wide receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs.

The elevation of Kubiak to offensive coordinator in Minnesota isn’t that much of a surprising announcement, and there are many reasons why this was the right choice for the Vikings to make.

The 58-year-old Kubiak just finished his first season with Minnesota in 2019, serving as the team’s assistant head coach and offensive advisor, having a large say in things on the offensive side of the field for the Vikings alongside Stefanski.

When Minnesota went into a search for a new offensive coordinator shortly after its season came to an end, Kubiak’s name was one that popped up early and often and he was viewed by many as a favorite to ultimately land the position leading up to the 2020 campaign.

The first positive when it comes to Kubiak is that he holds a total of 24 years of coaching experience, including 10 years as a head coach in the NFL. He’s seen and gone through just about every situation a coach can.

While containing plenty of coaching experience both as an assistant coach and a head coach in the league, Kubiak spent time with the Denver Broncos as both an offensive coordinator and head coach, as well as served time as a head coach of the Houston Texans and later an offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens before coming to Minnesota.

The Super Bowl-winning coach moving into the offensive coordinator role makes a lot of sense for both sides, mainly due to his familiarity with the organization and it’s personnel, while the personnel and organization in return are very familiar with him as well.

That familiarity is important because it likely won’t result in too much change in the offensive gameplan going into a new season, allowing the players and the rest of the coaching staff to continue the system they were in during 2019, for the most part. Sure, the play-calling compared to what Stefanski conducted will likely change to some extent, but the playbook will mostly remain the same and that is a huge plus for the Vikings offense.

The veteran coach and Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer are also close and have a strong familiarity with each other, which likely also played a part in the organization looking to Kubiak to take over in the previously vacant position.

There will be a different offensive coordinator on the sidelines for the Vikings going into a new season in 2020, but the fact that Kubiak already played a large role in the gameplan of the Minnesota offense will result in not a whole lot changing for the Vikings and their players.

That reason, along with multiple other reasons, is why the elevation of Kubiak to Minnesota’s offensive coordinator was the right choice for the organization to make.