J.J. McCarthy Reveals Surprising Secrets Behind Kevin O’Connell’s Coaching Genius

Ever wonder what it takes for an NFL coach to transform a quarterback from a hopeful underdog into a bona fide franchise star? Kevin O’Connell isn’t just any head coach—he’s become the secret ingredient behind the Minnesota Vikings’ resurgence. After masterminding Sam Darnold’s leap from journeyman to 14-win season leader, O’Connell now faces a fresh challenge: molding J.J. McCarthy into the team’s future. And judging by McCarthy’s gutsy fourth-quarter comeback against the Chicago Bears, plus his glowing postgame shout-out dubbing O’Connell “one of the best” in the league, it’s clear this coaching magic is only just beginning. So, can O’Connell replicate his blueprint for success and steer the Vikings toward greatness once more? Let’s dive in and find out.

Kevin O’Connell has been viewed as a top head coach in the NFL since he took over the Minnesota Vikings.

He has helped his team stay relevant despite not always having blue-chip players, which was on full display during the 2024 campaign.

Sam Darnold went from a journeyman without much hope to a quarterback who led the Vikings to a 14-win season, and O’Connell got a lot of credit for helping him get to that place.

Now, he’s tasked with helping J.J. McCarthy develop into the next franchise QB, and the first-year starter looked solid in the second half of the Week 1 win against the Chicago Bears.

McCarthy had a slow start but picked things up as the game went on, leading an impressive fourth-quarter comeback.

He could have talked about a lot of things in the postgame press conference, but decided to use some of his time talking about O’Connell and the importance of having a good coach.

“That guy is one of the best, if not the best, head coach, in my opinion, in the National Football League,” McCarthy said.

"That guy is one of the best – if not the best – Head Coach, in my opinion, in the National Football League" – @jjmccarthy09 on Head Coach Kevin O'Connell. pic.twitter.com/6b1h8w9XEN

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 9, 2025

McCarthy is confident and happy with the Vikings’ coaching staff, which chose him over Darnold this offseason.

Minnesota made a slight gamble when it used a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on McCarthy, but if he can keep getting better and learning from his teammates and O’Connell, there’s no telling what the future holds for this organization.

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