The Minnesota Vikings are hiring Robert Steeples to serve as their new assistant special teams coach, .
Steeples, who played briefly for the Vikings in 2013 on the very special teams unit he’ll help oversee, fills the vacancy created by Ryan Ficken’s promotion to the head special teams coordinator role. Ficken replaces Marwan Maalouf, who was not retained after last season.
Steeples has spent the five seasons as head coach of the De Smet Jesuit High School in St. Louis, where is his alma mater. The school announced his departure to join the Vikings’ staff.
“Obviously, the Vikings helped me realize a childhood dream being an NFL player and so it’s awesome to see it come full circle and them helping me realize an adulthood dream of me becoming an NFL coach,” Steeples said, via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “So, it’s an exciting opportunity for me and my family and I just really want to help them build and do the best I can to help that organization reach their aspirations and goals.”
Steeples appeared in two games for the Vikings in 2013 after going undrafted out of the University of Memphis. He briefly spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Rams as well but never appeared in a game for a team other than the Vikings.