The Minnesota Vikings are officially saying goodbye to another coach with the team’s former assistant, Andre Patterson, being hired by the New York Giants.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the news on Thursday.
Patterson had been with the Vikings for all eight years of the Mike Zimmer era. Although he never shed his job title as a defensive line coach, he worked his way up to eventually being dubbed as the assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator.
So he was clearly a man that wore many hats for the team.
As reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano on Wednesday, the Vikings are leaning towards hiring Ed Donatell as their next defensive coordinator.
Before the injury bug hit in Minnesota, Patterson’s defensive front was leading the league in sacks at one point last season. They finished third in average sacks per game behind the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers.
So at the very least, Patterson should be a solid addition to a Giants team that struggled all season generating pressure up front.
