The Vikings are expected to hire Broncos assistant OL coach Chris Kuper to replace Phil Rauscher as their offensive line coach, according to Pro Football Network's Aaron Wilson.
I wondered yesterday if the Vikings would target Mike Munchak, the former Broncos offensive line coach who is one of the best OL coaches in modern NFL history. Instead, they're apparently landing his top assistant. Maybe Munchak is headed elsewhere or wants to remain in Denver for family reasons — who knows.
Kuper obviously doesn't have anything close to Munchak's pedigree, but he's spent the past three seasons learning from him and seems to be highly regarded by Broncos fans and reporters as a promising offensive line coach on the rise.
The 39-year-old Kuper, if hired by the Vikings, will be a first-time OL coach. Prior to the last three seasons with the Broncos, he spent three years with the Dolphins, first as a quality control coach and then for two years as Miami's assistant OL coach. Kuper got his start in coaching at the high school level in 2015, so he has just six years of NFL coaching experience.
But Kuper also brings a former player's perspective to the table. The Anchorage, Alaska native starred at the University of North Dakota and was drafted by the Broncos in the fifth round in 2006. He went on to play eight seasons in the NFL, all of them with Denver, starting 79 total games at left and right guard. Kuper was named to the Pro Bowl following the 2011 season, but couldn't go due to injury. He was a team captain and a 2012 recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award, which tells you a little about who he is as a person.
Kuper helped Garrett Bolles become an All-Pro and aided in the development of young Broncos offensive linemen like Dalton Risner and Quinn Meinerz. In Miami, he worked closey with Laremy Tunsil and the rest of the Dolphins' O-line.
This is a slightly risky hire by Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings if it comes to fruition, but Rauscher was also a first-time OL coach in 2021 and he did a solid job.
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