Coaches

Diron Reynolds returns in 2013 for his 5th season working with the Vikings defensive line, a unit that has displayed consistent talent and improved depth in recent seasons.

The 2012 Vikings held opponents to 64 fewer offensive points than in 2011 and jumped to the 16th-ranked total defense in the NFL, a 5-spot jump from 2011. The Vikings held opponents to 14 points or less in 6 wins and helped the club win the 4 final games of the season to earn a postseason appearance.

Perennial Pro Bowler DE Jared Allen led the Vikings with 12 sacks while the LDE tandem of Brian Robison notched 8.5 and Everson Griffen had 8.0. Griffen showed his big-play ability with a 29-yard INT return TD at St. Louis (12/16) and had a career-best 3.0 sacks in the regular season finale vs. Green Bay (12/30). Robison notched his career-best 3.5 sacks vs. Arizona (10/21) and had a career-best 8 passes defensed on the season.

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 spent 5 seasons (2002-2006) working as a defensive quality control coach for the Indianapolis Colts under current 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, captured the AFC South crown 4 out of his 5 seasons and won the Lombardi Trophy by defeating Chicago in Super Bowl XLI for the team’s 1st title since 1970. The Colts defense twice ranked 2nd in the NFL in passing yards allowed (2002 and 2006).

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. The Deacons 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. His father, William, was a DE at South Carolina State. He resides with his family in Eden Prairie.