{"id":775469,"date":"2026-02-25T13:26:19","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T13:26:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/775469\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T13:26:19","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T13:26:19","slug":"minnesota-vikings-add-former-hbcu-coach-to-staff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/775469\/","title":{"rendered":"Minnesota Vikings Add Former HBCU Coach to Staff"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chili Davis\u2019 time at Florida A&M lasted one season, but his year in HBCU football might have changed everything. The Minnesota Vikings officially announced<\/a> that Davis has been hired as the team\u2019s Assistant Special Teams Coach, joining Kevin O\u2019Connell\u2019s staff for the 2026 season. <\/p>\n

He will work under Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels as part of a finalized 27-member coaching group.<\/p>\n

While Davis\u2019 r\u00e9sum\u00e9 now includes Power Four and NFL stops, his 2022 season at FAMU stands as an inflection point in his career trajectory.<\/p>\n

The Minneapolis Vikings are hiring Chili Davis as Assistant Special Teams Coach
? Former Special Teams Coordinator at Florida A&M pic.twitter.com\/rkVJtWjPmZ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 HBCU Premier Sports & More (@HBCUSports1) February 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The FAMU Season That Accelerated the Climb<\/p>\n

When Davis arrived in Tallahassee in 2022 as Special Teams Coordinator, Florida A&M already had a talented HBCU football roster.<\/p>\n

Head coach Willie Simmons famously described Davis as the \u201cmissing piece\u201d to a unit that would go on to dominate the third phase of the game.<\/p>\n

The results backed it up.<\/p>\n

FAMU finished 9\u20132 overall and 7\u20131 in SWAC play. The Rattlers capped the year with a Florida Classic victory over Bethune-Cookman. Throughout the season, their special teams unit consistently flipped field position and delivered hidden-yardage advantages that impacted games.<\/p>\n

Statistically, the group ranked among the most productive special teams units in the FCS:<\/p>\n

Three blocked kicks, ranking 30th nationally<\/p>\n

17-of-21 field goals converted (81%)<\/p>\n

Multiple first-team all-conference and HBCU All-America honorees<\/p>\n

It was one year.<\/p>\n

However, it was loud.<\/p>\n

From Tallahassee to the NFL<\/p>\n

Following that 2022 HBCU football campaign, Davis made the leap from the FCS to a Power Four program, joining Kansas State as Special Teams Quality Control Coach<\/a> in 2023.<\/p>\n

The move signaled something important.<\/p>\n

His FAMU success translated.<\/p>\n

From Kansas State, Davis spent the 2024 season with the Los Angeles Rams<\/a> as a special teams assistant under Sean McVay. He later joined Maryland, where he served as Assistant Special Teams Coordinator before earning a promotion to Special Teams Coordinator \u2014 a title he held briefly before accepting Minnesota\u2019s offer.<\/p>\n

Now he returns to the NFL.<\/p>\n

\"Minnesota<\/p>\n

The Minnesota Connection<\/p>\n

Chili Davis\u2019 Minnesota Vikings hire also reflects an intentional relationship-building process.<\/p>\n

Head coach Kevin O\u2019Connell highlighted Davis\u2019 previous participation in the Vikings\u2019 diversity coaching summit and the NFL\u2019s Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was their special teams coordinator at Maryland, but was part of our first diversity coaching summit and then also was part of the Bill Walsh Fellowship,\u201d O\u2019Connell said. \u201cHe has kind of slowly spent more and more time around us and staff \u2014 a really high-capacity young coach I\u2019m excited about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those programs are designed to create exposure and opportunity for rising minority coaches. In Davis\u2019 case, they created familiarity and trust.<\/p>\n

Minnesota had already seen him up close.<\/p>\n

A One-Year Stop That Opened Doors<\/p>\n

Davis\u2019 career spans more than a decade, beginning at Campbell, his alma mater, where he played defensive back. He coached wide receivers at New Mexico State during a historic bowl season, worked as a special teams analyst at Washington, and built experience across multiple position groups.<\/p>\n

Still, his year at FAMU stands out.<\/p>\n

It provided measurable results, nationally recognized specialists, and a 9-win season that forced larger programs to take notice.<\/p>\n

For Florida A&M, it reinforced the program\u2019s reputation for developing not only players but also coaching talent.<\/p>\n

For Chili Davis, it became the springboard.<\/p>\n

Now, that springboard has led him to the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff.<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n

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