Dirk Koetter emerges as potential Vikings OC candidate

As the Vikings approach the expiration of Kevin Stefanski's contract on Tuesday, it still seems possible the interim offensive coordinator will be back in the permanent role for the 2019 season. Another name emerged on Monday, however, as a potential candidate for the job.

Former Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter is in the running for the Vikings' coordinator job, according to a league source. Koetter, who interviewed with the Falcons for their open position over the weekend, could end up as the front-runner for the job in Atlanta, but he is in consideration for the Vikings' job as well, as the team explores its options beyond Stefanski.

Koetter was the offensive coordinator in Jacksonville from 2007-11, and in Atlanta from 2012-14 before Tampa Bay hired him. He went 9-7 in his first season with the Buccaneers, before going 5-11 each of the past two years. During his first two seasons in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers ranked eighth and seventh in number of rushing attempts per game, and the Jaguars were in the NFL's top five in rushing attempts three times with Koetter running the offense. He had offenses that ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in scoring three times in his four years with Tampa Bay.

Former Browns coach Hue Jackson, who worked with Mike Zimmer in Atlanta and Cincinnati, seems to have fallen out of the running for the job; sources had said Jackson's candidacy would depend largely on what general manager Rick Spielman thought of him as a candidate, and it's believed Spielman was tepid about the idea.

Stefanski, who spent the last three games of the Vikings' season calling plays after the team fired John DeFilippo, interviewed for the Browns' head coaching job last week, and would need a new contract to return to the Vikings after his existing deal expires on Tuesday. His return could turn out to be the Vikings' simplest and most sensible solution, though it remains to be seen whether the two sides will come to a deal.