Vikings

Vikings Hosting Jim Harbaugh & Patrick Graham For Second Interviews, DeMeco Ryans Has Withdrawn

January 31, 2022

Tom Pelissero of NFL Media is reporting that the Vikings are bringing in Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh and Giants DC Patrick Graham for second interviews regarding their head-coaching vacancy. However, 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans has withdrawn from consideration for the job.

The Vikings completed their second interview with Rams OC Kevin O’Connell Monday.

Here’s the list of candidates for the Vikings’ job:

Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh (Finalist)
Giants DC Patrick Graham (Finalist)
Rams OC Kevin O’Connell (Finalist)
Rams DC Raheem Morris (Finalist)
Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon (Interviewed)
Cowboys OC Kellen Moore (Interviewed)
Buccaneers DC Todd Bowles (Interviewed)
Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett (Interviewed)
Cowboys DC Dan Quinn (Withdrawn)
49ers DC DeMeco Ryans (Withdrawn)

Harbaugh, 58, was a first-round pick out of Michigan by the Bears in 1987. He played 14 years in the league before becoming a coach, first with the Raiders. He was hired by San Diego as head coach in 2004 and took the same position with Stanford in 2007.

The 49ers hired Harbaugh as their head coach in 2007. He was fired in 2014 and hired as head coach at Michigan.

During his four years with the 49ers, he led them to a record of 44-19-1 (69.5 percent), which included three playoff appearances and an NFC Championship.

At Michigan, Harbaugh’s teams have produced a record of 61-24 (71.8 percent). That includes a 1-5 record in bowl games.

Ryans, 37, is a former second-round pick of the Texans back in 2006. He spent six years in Texans before he was traded to the Eagles in 2012.

Ryans was in the final year of his two-year, $7.5 million contract when he was released by Philadelphia.

Ryans sat out the 2016 season before taking a defensive quality control coaching job with the 49ers. San Francisco promoted Ryans to inside linebackers coach a year later. In January 2021, Ryans was promoted to defensive coordinator by the 49ers and was also a head coaching candidate that offseason.

In 2021, the 49ers defense ranked No. 3 in fewest yards allowed, No. 9 in fewest points allowed, No. 7 in fewest rushing yards allowed, and No. 6 in fewest passing yards allowed.

Graham, 42, began his coaching career at Wagner as a graduate assistant back in 2002. He later spent three years at Richmond before landing his first NFL coaching job with the Patriots in 2009 as a defensive coaching assistant.

After seven years in New England, the Giants hired Graham as their defensive coach in 2016. Graham joined the Packers a year later as their LBs coach and run game coordinator before taking the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator job in 2019.

From there, the Giants hired Graham as their defensive coordinator for the 2020 season.

In 2021, the Giants’ defense ranked No. 21 in fewest yards allowed, No. 23 in fewest points allowed, No. 25 in fewest rushing yards allowed, and No. 15 in passing yards allowed.