Coaches

Diron Reynolds returns in 2012 for his 4th season working with the Vikings defensive line and will continue to build on the progress made the past few seasons. This year he will coach alongside new defensive line coach Brendan Daly, who joined the team after spending 3 years as the St. Louis Rams defensive line coach.

2011 was a record-setting year for the Vikings defensive front. All-Pro Jared Allen amassed 22.0 sacks, a new Vikings single season record and just a half-sack shy of tying the NFL record of 22.5.  Brian Robison fared well in his first season as a starter on the defensive line, tallying 8.0 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. In all, the Vikings totaled 50.0 sacks in 2011, tied for the most in the NFL and the 3rd most in Vikings history. The Vikings ranked 11th in rushing yards allowed in 2011 and had 119 negative plays, tied for 2nd best in the NFL in 2011.  The defense got its hands on the football often in 2011, recovering 15 fumbles, good for the most in the NFL.

Over the past few seasons the strength of the Vikings defense has been stopping the run, 2010 was no different as they held opponents to 102.2 rushing yards per game, ranking 9th in the NFL. The Vikings finished 8th in total defense, the 3rd year in a row that they finished in the NFL’s top 10 after finishing 6th in both 2008 and 2009. It marked the first time since 1992-94 that the Vikings ranked in the NFL’s top 10 in total defense for three-straight seasons.

In 2009, the Vikings led the NFL with 48.0 sacks and had breakout performances by several players. Along with perennial All-Pro performers Jared Allen and Kevin Williams, the team got a career-best performance from DE Ray Edwards and DT Jimmy Kennedy excelled in his role providing depth to the interior line. Edwards had a career-high 8.5 sacks in the regular season and tied a Vikings playoff record with 3.0 sacks vs. Dallas in the NFC Divisional Playoff win. The Vikings defense set a new team playoff record with 6.0 sacks against the Cowboys. Kennedy matched his career-high with 3.0 sacks in the regular season and added another in the playoffs.

Prior to joining the Vikings, Reynolds was the defensive line coach for the Miami Dolphins during the 2007 season. While with Miami, Reynolds’ line created a pass rush that helped the Dolphins rank 4th in the league in passing yards allowed. Dolphin’s DE Jason Taylor recorded his 6th double-digit sack season (11.0) and 6th trip to the Pro Bowl. Reynolds took part in the 1st regular season NFL game played away from North America when the Dolphins took on the Giants in London on 10/28/07.

Reynolds spent 5 seasons (2002-2006) working as a defensive quality control coach for the Indianapolis Colts under cur- rent Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier (2005-2006) and former Vikings assistant Tony Dungy. During his time in Indy the team compiled a 60-20 record (.750), posting double-digit wins every season, and captured the AFC South crown 4 out of his 5 sea- sons. The Colts tallied the most wins in franchise history with 14 in 2005. They also went 7-4 in the post-season during Reynolds’ tenure, capturing the Lombardi Trophy by defeating the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI for the team’s 1st title since 1970. The Colts defense twice ranked 2nd in the NFL in passing yards al- lowed (2002 and 2006) and recorded the 4th-best sack total in the NFL in 2004.

Before moving to the NFL, Reynolds spent 5 seasons working in the collegiate ranks. He spent the 2001 season tutoring DTs at Indiana University following a 4-year stint with his alma mater Wake Forest (1997-2000).

In 2001, the Hoosiers saw significant improvement on the defensive side of the ball. The 2001 team improved by 2 wins and cut the number of games allowing 30+ points by more than half, from 9 in 2000 to just 4 in 2001.

Reynolds got his 1st taste of coaching on a major stage when he joined his alma mater as a graduate assistant for the 1997 and 1998 seasons. In 1997, the Demon Deacons set a school record for rushing yards allowed per game with just 96.1 while also holding opponents to only 23.0 points per game. After being hired on full-time as the OLB coach for the Deacons in 1999, Reynolds helped Wake Forest produce one of the top defenses in the nation and the best in school history since the 1976 sea- son. The Deacons defense finished the year ranked in the top 35 nationally in every statistical category and earned their 1st bowl berth since 1992, defeating Arizona State in the Aloha Bowl.

Before returning to Wake Forest, Reynolds spent 2 years coaching football, basketball, and track at Brooklyn-Cayce High School in South Carolina. As a collegian, Reynolds played LB and was a key contributor on special teams for Wake Forest from 1990-1993. Reynolds was a member of the Deacons’ 1992 campaign as they advanced, and won, their 1st bowl game (Independence Bowl) since the 1979 season and finished the season ranked in both the AP and Coaches Top 25 polls for the 1st time since 1979.

Reynolds grew up in Aiken, S.C., and earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from Wake Forest along with a Master ’s in liberal studies. His brother Jamal played DE for the Green Bay Packers, where he was a 1st-round draft pick, and brother Rashad played LB at Rice University. His father, William, was a DE at the South Carolina State. He resides with his family in Eden Prairie.