Eagan, Minn. (April 14, 2021) – The Minnesota Vikings have promoted Andre Patterson to assistant head coach and added Robert Steeples to the coaching staff as assistant special teams coach and Marquis Johnson as assistant strength and conditioning coach.

Andre Patterson has been promoted to assistant head coach and will continue to help oversee Minnesota’s defense as co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach in his 10th season with the Vikings. Overall, Patterson brings 39 years of coaching experience, 18 in the NFL, to the position. He previously worked for the Vikings as the defensive line coach in 1998-99 and re-joined the team at the same position in 2014. Since returning to the club seven seasons ago, Patterson has helped the Vikings defense rank ninth in the NFL in sacks (283), third in rushing touchdowns allowed (76) and fifth in opponent yards per game (332.0).

Robert Steeples joins the Vikings staff as assistant special teams coach after spending the previous five seasons as head coach of De Smet Jesuit High School’s football team. Under his guidance, the Spartans claimed a Missouri state title in 2019 and a runner-up finish in 2020. A former NFL cornerback, Steeples appeared on special teams in two games for Minnesota as a rookie in 2013 and also spent time with St. Louis (2013), Kansas City (2014) and Dallas (2014-15). While with Minnesota, Steeples was teammates with current Vikings WR Adam Thielen and S Harrison Smith. Current Vikings Special Teams Coordinator Ryan Ficken also served as the special teams assistant coach at the time.

Beginning his second stint in the NFL, Marquis Johnson joins the Vikings as assistant strength and conditioning coach. He previously spent the 2017-2018 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and most recently served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Jackson State (2020) and coordinator of strength and performance at the University of Houston (2019). Johnson is a certified strength and conditioning coach through the NSCA as well as through the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Association. He received his bachelor’s degree from Prairie View A&M in human performance and his master’s degree from Eastern Michigan in administration.

2021 Vikings Coaching Staff (22):
Mike Zimmer: Head Coach
Ryan Ficken: Special Teams Coordinator
Klint Kubiak: Offensive Coordinator
Andre Patterson: Assistant Head Coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line
Adam Zimmer: Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
Imarjaye Albury: Assistant Defensive Line
Roy Anderson: Assistant Defensive Backs/Safeties
Rick Dennison: Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator
Paul Guenther: Senior Defensive Assistant
Josh Hingst: Head Strength and Conditioning
Andrew Janocko: Quarterbacks
Marquis Johnson: Assistant Strength and Conditioning
Christian Jones: Offensive Quality Control/Assistant Wide Receivers
Derik Keyes: Assistant Strength and Conditioning
Keenan McCardell: Wide Receivers
Brian Pariani: Tight Ends
AC Patterson: Offensive Quality Control/Assistant Running Backs
Kennedy Polamalu: Running Backs
Phil Rauscher: Assistant Offensive Line
Karl Scott: Defensive Backs
Sam Siefkes: Defensive Quality Control/Assistant Linebackers
Robert Steeples: Assistant Special Teams

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