Jeff Imamura returns to the Vikings in 2013 for his 8th season on the coaching staff. His primary duties include working directly with Defensive Coordinator Alan Williams on day-to-day defensive operations and activities and generating comprehensive scouting reports on opponents.
The 2012 Vikings defense made strides to improve from the previous season, allowing 64 fewer points to opposing offenses to rank 19th in the NFL, an 11-position improvement from 2011. The defense held opponenents to 14-or-less points in 6 games during 2012, winning all 6. The Vikings LBs were again led by Chad Greenway, who earned 2nd-Team All-Pro honors and his 2nd straight Pro Bowl berth after setting a career-high with 191 tackles. Joining Greenway in the regular LB corps was Erin Henderson, who notched career-highs with 112 tackles, 3.0 sacks and 10 tackles for loss and MLB Jasper Brinkley, who bounced back from missing the 2011 campaign on injured reserve. Brinkley started 15 of the 16 games he played and ranked 3rd on the club with a career-high 117 tackles.
Jeff Imamura returns to the Vikings in 2013 for his 8th season on the coaching staff. His primary duties include working directly with Defensive Coordinator Alan Williams on day-to-day defensive operations and activities and generating comprehensive scouting reports on opponents.
The 2012 Vikings defense made strides to improve from the previous season, allowing 64 fewer points to opposing offenses to rank 19th in the NFL, an 11-position improvement from 2011. The defense held opponenents to 14-or-less points in 6 games during 2012, winning all 6. The Vikings LBs were again led by Chad Greenway, who earned 2nd-Team All-Pro honors and his 2nd straight Pro Bowl berth after setting a career-high with 191 tackles. Joining Greenway in the regular LB corps was Erin Henderson, who notched career-highs with 112 tackles, 3.0 sacks and 10 tackles for loss and MLB Jasper Brinkley, who bounced back from missing the 2011 campaign on injured reserve. Brinkley started 15 of the 16 games he played and ranked 3rd on the club with a career-high 117 tackles.
2011 marked another season of solid linebacker play for the Vikings. Chad Greenway set a career high in tackles, recording 174 over the course of the season and being selected to his 1st Pro Bowl. He also finished his 4th consecutive season leading the team in tackles, which ties him for second in Vikings history, trailing only Scott Studwell who led for 6 consecutive seasons. E.J. Henderson also had a big season, finishing 2nd on the team in tackles with 130 and 2nd on the team with 16 TFL.
The Vikings LBs were the most consistent unit for the defense in 2010 with Greenway leading the team in tackles for a 3rd-straight season and ranking 1st in the NFC and 4th in the NFL in total tackles. The defense finished in the NFL’s top 10 in total defense (8th) for the 3rd year in a row and ranked in the top 10 against the run (9th) and the pass (10th).
In 2009, the Vikings LBs played at a high level and were a key part of the #6 ranking in total defense the club posted for the 2nd-straight year. The Vikings had not been in the NFL’s top 10 for total defense in consecutive seasons since 1993-94. The LB unit had to overcome Henderson’s season-ending injury, but were able to prepare rookie 5th-round draft pick Jasper Brinkley to start the final 4 regular season games and both playoff contests. Greenway led the team in tackles and joined Ben Leber in making plays against the run and pass. The duo combined for 4 INTs and 3.5 sacks during the regular season and playoffs.
The 2008 Vikings made dramatic strides from 2007 despite having to overcome the loss of key starters to injury, challenging the coaching staff to prepare backups to take on bigger roles. The Vikings defense ranked #6 in the NFL for total defense, the highest finish since 1994 for the team and a 14-position jump from the previous year. A key part of the 2008 Vikings defense taking a step forward was the emergence of Greenway as a total defender. In his 2nd year as a starter, Greenway led the team with 150 tackles and notched 5.5 sacks.
The 2007 Vikings LBs thrived in the NFL’s #1 rushing defense as Henderson led the team with 155 total tackles and 4.5 sacks, while Greenway and Leber finished directly behind Henderson in total tackles with 130 and 88, respectively. Overall, the Vikings linebackers finished with 373 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 3 INTs, 6 FFs and 7 FRs.
The 2006 Vikings finished #8 in total defense and #1 against the run for only the 3rd time in team history. The team had not cracked the top 10 in total defense since 1994 but the Vikings defenders became a calling card as the team set a franchise record and posted the 2nd-lowest rushing yards allowed by an NFL team since the 1970 merger at 985 yards, an average of 61.6 per game.
Before joining the Vikings, Imamura coached OLBs at Saginaw Valley (MI) State University in 2003. He helped build the Cardinals’ defense into a national leader as the unit ranked 7th in the country in scoring, 12th in turnover margin and 22nd in the country in passing. The Cardinals’ OLBs accounted for over 60 percent of the team’s sacks on the season. SVSU won the Great Lakes Conference regular season title with an 11-0 record, finished the regular season ranked #1 in the nation and advanced to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals.
Imamura spent the previous 3 seasons (2000-02) at Northern Arizona University as the defensive line coach. NAU advanced to the Division I-AA playoffs in 2001 for only the 2nd time in school history.
A 1997 graduate of Texas Christian, Imamura got his start in the coaching profession at TCU as a defensive assistant from 1997-99, where he assisted the Horned Frogs’ DBs coach and defensive coordinator. TCU beat USC in the 1998 Sun Bowl to earn the school’s 1st bowl victory since the 1957 Cotton Bowl, and in 1999 earned a share of the WAC title and a bowl bid.
Imamura earned his degree in finance at TCU. Imamura and wife, Reagan, reside in Eden Prairie.
