The Minnesota Vikings have named Josh McCown as quarterbacks coach and Chris O’Hara as pass game specialist.
McCown, who played 18 seasons in the NFL as a quarterback from 2002-20, spent the 2023 season with the Carolina Panthers as their quarterbacks coach. During his first season in the NFL coaching ranks, McCown helped develop rookie QB Bryce Young, the first-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Young recorded at least 20 completions in eight consecutive games to start his rookie season, the second most in NFL history, trailing only Justin Herbert’s 15 straight games with at least 20 completions in 2020.
McCown began coaching in 2010 before signing with the UFL’s Hartford Colonials, serving as a volunteer quarterbacks coach for Marvin Ridge High School in Waxhaw, N.C., for parts of the 2010-12 seasons. Upon his return to coaching in 2019, McCown balanced playing for the Philadelphia Eagles while also serving as quarterbacks coach for Myers Park High School in Charlotte, N.C., where his sons, Owen and Aiden, played. That season, Myers Park went 12-1 and advanced to the third round of the 4AA State Championships. In 2020, McCown was an assistant coach at Rusk High School in Rusk, Texas, where his sons finished their prep careers.
Originally selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round (81st overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft, McCown spent time with 12 NFL teams during his playing career, including the Cardinals (2002-05), Detroit Lions (2006), Oakland Raiders (2007), Miami Dolphins (2008), Carolina Panthers (2008-09), San Francisco 49ers (2011) Chicago Bears (2011-13), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2014), Cleveland Browns (2015-16), New York Jets (2017-18), Eagles (2019-20) and Houston Texans (2020). He played in 102 games, making 76 starts, and totaled 17,731 passing yards and 98 touchdowns, adding 1,106 rushing yards and 13 scores on 248 carries. While with Cleveland in 2015, McCown was coached by Head Coach Kevin O’Connell, who was the Browns quarterbacks coach.
O’Hara enters his third season with the Minnesota Vikings and his first as pass game specialist in 2024. Prior to joining the Vikings, O’Hara spent time with the Los Angeles Rams (2021), Jacksonville Jaguars (2014-16, 2020) and Washington Commanders (2017-19).
As the offensive assistant with the Rams during the 2021 season, O’Hara assisted QB Matthew Stafford during his first season with the team, helping him throw for the third-most passing yards (4,886) and second-most touchdowns (41) in the NFL, all while achieving his career-best 102.9 passer rating (in seasons with more than eight starts). WR Cooper Kupp led the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16), earning AP First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.
O’Hara spent the 2020 season with Jacksonville, following three seasons in Washington (2017-19) as an offensive quality control coach. Prior to his stint in Washington, O’Hara worked as an offensive coaching associate with the Jaguars from 2014-16. In 2015, the Jaguars’ offense accounted for 35 touchdown passes, shattering the previous team record of 28 set in 2007.
Before entering the NFL ranks, O’Hara spent three seasons coaching on the defensive side of the ball at the University of Miami from 2011-13, including one season as a graduate assistant and two as a student assistant. In his final season with the Hurricanes, O’Hara helped Miami finish third in the ACC with 27 takeaways. He began his coaching career at Temple, serving as a student assistant with the school’s football team.
(info courtesy of Vikings)
