MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Vikings will soon start looking for their sixth offensive coordinator since 2014.
Gary Kubiak, who has been in the franchise since 2019 and spent the last season as an offensive coordinator for the Vikings, announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursday after 36 seasons as a coach and player.
“I have been on a football field most of my life and now I hope to get out of the game and enjoy more time with my family and friends,” said Kubiak in a statement. “I offer my sincere thanks to the owners and fans of the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this great game and for treating me and my family so well over the years.
“I will miss the competition, the planning, the game days and being part of a team. But above all, I will value the friendships I have made along the way with players, coaches and staff. I love the game of football and will always be your biggest fan. “
This is the second time that Kubiak has announced his retirement from football in the past four years. Citing health concerns after the 2016 season, Kubiak retired as head coach of the Broncos a year after leading Denver to a Super Bowl 50 championship. He is the only person in NFL history to have played in the Super Bowl and later defeated a head coach of the same team.
Kubiak returned to the Broncos six months after retiring in 2017 and worked with the Scouting team as a senior staff adviser for two seasons. He was hired by Vikings coach Mike Zimmer in 2019 to preside over the attack as an advisor and assistant coach, while Kevin Stefanski called up plays as an offensive coordinator. After Stefanski was hired as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kubiak took over as coordinator.
“Gary has done a great job with us on the Vikings for the past two seasons,” said Zimmer. “I have a lot of respect for him as a coach and as a person, and I am happy to have been able to train with him. He had a beautiful career in the NFL as a player, assistant coach and head coach, and I am very happy for Gary and his wife Rhonda as they head to their ranch. We will all miss Gary in the Vikings organization and wish him the best. “
In Kubiak’s season as an offensive coordinator, the Vikings finished fourth in the total attack and 11 in goals, with quarterback Kirk Cousins recovering from 10 interceptions in his first six games to end a 7-9 campaign with 35 touchdowns, the career record.
Running back Dalvin Cook earned MVP consideration while running for a record 1,557 yards and 17 touchdowns, while Justin Jefferson broke the record for the receiving and receiving yards franchise as a rookie and is second of all time with 1,400 yards of receiving in his first NFL season.
According to several sources in the league, the Vikings are considering promoting from within to fill the position of offensive coordinator. Kubiak’s son Klint arrived with his father in 2019 as the coach of the Vikings’ defenders and may be in line to take over from his father. Klint Kubiak, 33, has never called up NFL play.
Offensive lineman / racing game coordinator Rick Dennison and tight ends coach Brian Pariani were also signed to Gary Kubiak in 2019.