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MN Vikings Let Assistant Coach Walk
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- MN Vikings Let Assistant Coach Walk
Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings hope to avoid a lot of turnover on their coaching staff in 2026. In a perfect world, they will roll into 2026 with Kevin O'Connell at head coach, Wes Phillips as their offensive coordinator and Brian Flores as defensive coordinator.
Of course, that future remains unknown, while Flores talks to teams around the league about coaching positions they have open for hire. After an incredibly difficult year on offense, however, there aren't a lot of suitors trying to scavenge any of Minnesota's assistants on that side of the football.
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Minnesota Vikings let OL coach Chris Kuper walk
But there is at least one offensive coach who will not be returning in 2026. Chris Kuper has been the MN Vikings offensive line coach since O'Connell was hired back before the 2022 season.
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But in week 18 against the Packers , Kuper coached his final game as the Vikings' OL coach. On Saturday, news broke that Minnesota has decided not to renew the 45-year-old former Denver Broncos offensive lineman.
The Vikings are not retaining OL coach Chris Kuper. His contract expired. Team is searching for a new offensive line coach after four seasons.
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) January 17, 2026
Related: Former Vikings Coaches Closing in on Head Jobs?
Chris Kuper was born in Anchorage, Alaska in December, 1982, where he lived until he graduated high school and left to play football at the University of North Dakota from 2002 to 2006.
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After two straight All-American seasons at North Dakota (2005-2006), Kuper was selected in the 5th round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Broncos. He went on to play 8 seasons in Denver, piling up 79 starts, before retiring after his age 31 season (2013).
Kuper's NFL coaching resume
In 2015, Chris Kuper became the volunteer offensive line coach at infamous Columbine High School . After one season coaching kids, Kuper joined the Miami Dolphins as an offensive quality control coordinator.
Then in 2017, he was promoted to Dolphins' assistant offensive line coach, a job he held for two seasons. In 2019, he rejoined the Denver Broncos as their assistant offensive line coach, a job he held through the 2021 season, when he was hired by the Minnesota Vikings.
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It was Kuper's first position coach job in the NFL. But now, after the Vikings' offensive line dealt with injuries and underwhelming performances during most of 2025, he's gone. And in 2026, KOC will have a new OL coach.
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