Vikings Coaching Search: Jim Harbaugh and Patrick Graham to Interview, DeMeco Ryans Out

The Vikings' list of four finalists now includes Graham instead of Ryans, who is staying in San Francisco.

It's been a big Monday night of news on the Minnesota Vikings' coaching search. Let's get caught up on all the latest, via NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and others.

The biggest update is that the Vikings are flying Jim Harbaugh in for an official interview on Wednesday at the team's facility. The news from this morning was that Harbaugh "conveyed legitimate interest" in Minnesota's vacancy during initial talks with GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah this weekend. Now an interview has been confirmed, which is a big step towards the possibility that Harbaugh taking the Vikings job becomes reality.

This is just speculation, but it seems difficult to imagine that the Michigan head coach would get this far in the process if this wasn't something both he and the Vikings were seriously considering.

You don’t fly in Jim Harbaugh just to ask him about khakis…

— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) February 1, 2022

The other major news is that one of the Vikings' presumed finalists is no longer in the running and has been replaced by someone else. 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, a rising star in the coaching ranks who was incredibly impressive during San Francisco's run to the NFC title game, has declined a second interview with the Vikings and will remain in SF. It's a surprise, but clearly this is what Ryans feels is best for his career.

Surprising to see DeMeco Ryans withdraw his name from the Vikings’ coaching search, but I can obviously respect him wanting more seasoning as a coordinator (he’s only been coaching since 2017) and feeling like he has unfinished business in SF. He’ll be a head coach at some point.

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) February 1, 2022

Instead of interviewing Ryans, the Vikings will interview Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for a second time on Tuesday. He's an interesting candidate in his own right.

Adofo-Mensah, Mark Wilf, and Rob Brzezinski conducted second interviews with both of the Rams' coordinators — OC Kevin O'Connell and DC Raheem Morris — on Monday night in Los Angeles. If the Vikings want to go with one of them, an agreement could be reached but nothing would be made official until after the Super Bowl in two weeks.

So here's the schedule of finalist interviews:

Monday, 1/31

Rams OC Kevin O'Connell (in Los Angeles)

Rams DC Raheem Morris (in Los Angeles)

Tuesday, 2/1

Giants DC Patrick Graham (in Minnesota)

Wednesday, 2/2

Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh (in Minnesota)

It's a fascinating search that might be wrapped up by the end of this week — or might continue into the weekend and beyond.

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