Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels is getting ready for his coaching debut at Allegiant Stadium this Sunday. While speaking to the media, McDaniels elaborated on his relationship with the man who will be coaching on the opposite side of the field. We’re, of course, referring to the new Minnesota Vikings head coach, Kevin O’Connell.
Raiders vs. Vikings: McDaniels and O’Connell will once again cross paths on Sunday
While McDaniels is going into his second go-ahead as head coach of a team, it’s been a long time since he last attempted it. As for O’Connell, this will mark his first shot as head coach in his own right. He had been with the Los Angeles Rams as offensive coordinator under Sean McVay, helping to coach a Super Bowl-winning offense. Prior to joining the coaching ranks, O’Connell was a quarterback and was under the tutelage of McDaniels at one point. The Raiders’ head coach recently spoke on the history between the two.
“Kevin’s been a football junkie since the moment I met him. I went out to his university and sat with him and worked him out and evaluated him a long time ago. He’s a great human being and he’s a really, really good football coach, who has taken the opportunity to learn from each person that he’s been with, starting when he was with us. I think you could just tell he was soaking it all in and it was kind of in his blood. Kevin and I have a really good relationship. I’m really proud of what he’s been able to do as a coach. I’m excited for him to have this opportunity. I look forward to seeing him on Sunday and following his progress this year.”
O’Connell was drafted by the New England Patriots when McDaniels was the offensive coordinator back in 2008. As a third-round draft pick, O’Connell was able to learn from Tom Brady, Matt Cassell, and McDaniels himself. Though he only appeared in two games professionally, O’Connell spent time on different teams after getting waived by the Patriots in 2009. In many ways, you could argue O’Connell is McDaniels’ pupil, and judging from the latter’s words, he thinks highly of the former NFL quarterback. There’s no doubt that both men are looking forward to sharing a football field once again this Sunday.
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*Top Photo: Yahoo Sports
