Vikings’ owner on Zimmer: ‘He holds his players and staff to a high standard’

Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer signed a three-year contract extension, the team announced on Friday.

With the extension, Zimmer is under contract with the team through the 2023 season.

In six seasons with the Vikings, the 64-year-old Zimmer is 57-38-1. The 57 victories in that span are the seventh-most regular-season wins among all NFL teams in that span.

The 42-year coaching veteran has also led Minnesota to a pair of NFC North titles (2015 and 2017) and three playoff appearances (2015, 2017 and 2019).

Zimmer’s .599 regular-season win percentage ranks seventh among current NFL head coaches* and trails only Bud Grant (.621) and Dennis Green (.610) for best in Vikings history. Including the postseason, Grant (281) and Green (171)are the only coaches in club history to have coached more games than Zimmer’s 101.

“Coach Zimmer brings an intensity and consistency to the field that our players and fans alike appreciate. He holds his players and staff to a high standard and will continue to guide the Vikings to long-term success,” Owner/Chairman Zygi Wilf said.

After inheriting a defense in 2014 that ranked 31st in 2013, Zimmer has guided Minnesota to top-10 rankings in the NFL in points allowed in five (2015-19) of his six seasons. The team’s defense and has ranked top 10 in yards allowed in three (2016-18) of those six seasons. The 2017 Vikings defense topped the league in both scoring defense (15.8) and yards allowed (275.9). That same season, Zimmer led the team to a 13-3 record(the second-most wins in a regular season in franchise history).

Under Zimmer, Minnesota has compiled four winning seasons (2015 and 2017-19). That number is tied with Jerry Burns for third in Vikings history among head coaches, trailing only Bud Grant (12 winning seasons), and Dennis Green (eight winning seasons).

Zimmer has had a lot of success in Minnesota. The Vikings would not give him this extension if they didn’t feel he could guide this team to a championship. The Vikings have a talented roster, and hopefully, for them, Zimmer is the guy to bring a Super Bowl to Minnesota.