The Vikings didn’t renew the contract of offensive line coach Jeff Davidson earlier this week and they’re reportedly replacing him with Tony Sparano.
Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Sparano has landed the job on Mike Zimmer’s coaching staff. Zimmer and Sparano previously worked together on the Cowboys staff when Bill Parcells was the head coach in Dallas.
Sparano spent this season as the tight ends coach for the 49ers and has had two stints as a head coach in the NFL. He was the coach in Miami from 2008 until he was fired with three games left in the 2011 season and served as the interim coach of the Raiders for 12 games in 2014 after they relieved Dennis Allen of his duties. He also spent one season as the offensive coordinator for the Jets.
The Vikings offensive line was a weak point over the course of the season. Sparano will be charged with bringing about better production in 2016, an effort that could be helped by the healthy return of center John Sullivan and, assuming he isn’t a cap casualty, right tackle Phil Loadholt after both suffered season-ending injuries.