Unexpected Vikings assistant gaining 2026 NFL head coach traction

A byproduct of team success is that other teams want to replicate what you're doing. That means losing assistant coaches to promotions elsewhere, headlined by someone (or multiple someones) becoming the head coach elsewhere. The Minnesota Vikings had a bit of that staff turnover happen to them after last season, but no one left for a head coaching job.

Heading toward the 2025 season, most of the talk about which Vikings' assistant coach could be gone to a head coaching job in 2026 is centered on one guy.

It seems safe to assume that Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores's ongoing discrimination lawsuit against the NFL has impacted his candidacy for head coaching jobs during the last few years, or he might already have gotten his second shot at being a head coach.

But, eventually, he will be gone, when/if he wants to leave, and if the Vikings' defense is good again next season, then he'll have multiple interviews in next year's hiring cycle. After his poor experience with the Miami Dolphins, it's fair to assume he'll be discerning with the next head coaching job he takes.

Minnesota Vikings assistant tabbed as 2026 head coaching candidate (and it is not the one you think)

ESPN's NFC North beat writers recently collaborated for a roundtable article answering some questions from around the division.

Asked which key NFC North assistant is most likely to be in the 2026 head coach hiring cycle, Chicago Bears beat writer Courtney Cronin went the clear-cut route with Flores.

But then, Vikings beat writer Kevin Seifert went outside the box with his choice and selected Minnesota's quarterbacks coach Josh McCown.

"As wild as it sounds, the 2024 season was McCown's first full season as an NFL assistant coach. He opted against interviewing for offensive coordinator positions, but still got an interview for the New York Jets' head coaching job.

McCown has long been on the league's radar, having interviewed for the Houston Texans' top job in 2022, and if McCarthy performs well in 2025, McCown might be able to skip the coordinator level altogether."

It has to be some kind of historical record to have head coaching interviews with two teams despite having such a short coaching resume.

McCown's first coaching job came with the Carolina Panthers as quarterbacks coach in 2023, but he was fired along with head coach Frank Reich after a 1-10 start to that season.

Being fired in Carolina so quickly turned out to be great for McCown's coaching career, and his role in Sam Darnold's success last season shouldn't be discounted.

If J.J. McCarthy has similar success this year, McCown getting serious notice as a head coaching candidate in 2026 is not out of the question, and Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell may end up having to replace two assistant coaches in 2026.