![\"Mike](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/NFL-Minnesota-Vikings-at-Detroit-Lions-25147636-scaled-e1768327051159.jpg\")
Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: David Reginek-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The Minnesota Vikings did their end of season press conference on Tuesday, at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, where Kevin O\u2019Connell answered a variety of questions with media members for about 30 minutes.<\/p>\n
MN Vikings assistant head coach Mike Pettine is retiring<\/p>\n
Before he got to those questions, however, the MN Vikings head coach made a couple of announcements. Among them was the retirement of assistant head coach and outside linebackers coach, Mike Pettine.<\/p>\n
Pettine, 60<\/a>, began in his current role as assistant head coach with the Minnesota Vikings back in 2022, as part of O\u2019Connell\u2019s rookie head coaching staff.<\/p>\n Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell says assistant HC Mike Pettine is going to be retiring.<\/p>\n \u2014 Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) January 13, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Mike\u2019s NFL coaching journey started, however, twenty years earlier, in 2002<\/a>, when hired as a \u201ccoaching assistant\u201d in Baltimore by then-Ravens defensive coordinator, Rex Ryan.<\/p>\n Along the way, Mike Pettine made stops at eight different NFL organizations, reaching the pinnacle of the coaching world in 2014, when he was named head coach of the Browns.<\/p>\n As is customary most times in Cleveland, he was fired after two seasons in-charge.<\/p>\n Pettine\u2019s retirement opens new title for Brian Flores?<\/p>\n Pettine isn\u2019t young, but he isn\u2019t over the hill necessarily, either. He did, however, hold a title within the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff that could help entice Brian Flores to re-sign on as their defensive coordinator.<\/p>\n Flores is interviewing<\/a> with the Baltimore Ravens soon, for their vacant head coach position, something head coach Kevin O\u2019Connell confirmed in his press conference Tuesday.<\/p>\n B-Flo is also receiving interest from the Washington Commanders<\/a> and Dallas Cowboys<\/a>, to be their defensive coordinator. Could this move have anything to do with trying to incentivize him to stay, should he not receive a head coaching opportunity?<\/p>\n Whether it has anything to do with B-Flo or not, Pettine\u2019s retirement indeed makes the Vikings\u2019 Assistant head coach title available to be filled. And I can\u2019t see them filling it with anyone other than Brian Flores, should he choose to stay.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMentioned in this article: Brian Flores<\/a> Mike Pettine<\/a> <\/p>\n More About: Minnesota Vikings<\/a><\/p>\n Add MinnesotaSportsFan as a preferred source on Google. \t\t\t![\"Minnesota](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2023_0512_NGF_RookieMiniCampDay1_0006-788x525.jpg\")
Credit: Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings<\/p>\n![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/google_preferred_source_badge.png\"){kind=icon}
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