Coaches

Kevin Stefanski begins his 5th season working with the QBs and offensive coaching staff in 2013 and enters his 8th season overall with the Vikings.

The Vikings 2012 season exceeded outside expectations by going 10-6 and earning a berth in the playoffs as a Wild Card. The team continued to develop throughout the season and QB Christian Ponder grew as a signal caller as the season went on. Ponder’s improved play in the final month of the season was a key element of the Vikings going 4-0 down the stretch to earn a playoff spot. Ponder’s career-best game came vs. Green Bay (12/30) in the regular season finale in a must-win situation to make the postseason. He set a career-best with a 120.2 passer rating and tied his career-high with 3 TD tosses. Ponder did not throw an INT in the final 3 games and had 8 games during the season without throwing a pick. He notched a completion percentage of 70.0%+ in 5 games and had 4 games with a passer rating of 100+.  Ponder became the 7th Vikings QB to win 10 games as the starter.

The 2010 campaign was challenging to the Vikings as injuries derailed any consistency the team could build. The team started 3 different QBs, including rookie Joe Webb for the final 2 games of the regular season on the road. The team started Brett Favre for the opening 12 games of his 20th NFL season before injuries severely limited him to 1 more start in the final 4 games. Veteran backup Tarvaris Jackson started 1 game against the NY Giants but suffered a season-ending injury in that contest. Webb relieved Favre in the 1st half of the Monday Night Football game vs. Chicago (12/20) and started the final 2 outings, engineering an upset win over NFC East champion Philadelphia on the road. Webb became only the 2nd QB in team history to win his 1st start as a rookie and ran for TDs in consecutive weeks against Chicago and at Philadelphia.

In 2009, Stefanski had a hands-on role in one of the most successful offensive seasons in Vikings history. The team improved dramatically in the passing game and developed new playmakers in prominent roles. Stefanski and the offensive staff helped veteran free agent QB Brett Favre mesh with the offense despite reporting to the team in mid-August.

Stefanski spent 2006-08 working directly with Head Coach Brad Childress on administrative duties and special projects. Stefanski became acquainted with Childress during Philadelphia Eagles training camp in 2005 while working with the team’s operations department.

Stefanski spent the 2005 season at his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, as Assistant Director of Football Operations. He coordinated all aspects of the Quakers’ day-to-day operations of the football team.

Before stepping off the field and into the administration of the team, Stefanski was a standout defensive back at Penn. A team captain as a senior in 2004, Stefanski was part of one of the most successful stretches in the history of the Quaker football program. The team won Ivy League titles in 2000, 2002 and 2003 and the squad went undefeated in league play during 2002 and 2003.

Twice honored as an Honorable Mention All-Ivy choice in 2002 and 2004, Stefanski ranked 3rd on the team in tackles as a senior. He was named Penn’s Defensive Rookie of the Year as a freshman in 2000 when he had a career-high 4 interceptions. During Stefanski’s tenure, the squad posted a 42-7 overall record and a 32-3 mark in Ivy play. As a senior, the team went 10-0 to become the 1st undefeated Penn team in a decade.

Stefanski holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Pennsylvania and attended St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia. The Stefanski family has made a name in athletics as Kevin’s father, Ed, was a standout in basketball at Penn and has held executive positions with the NBA’s New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors.

Stefanski and wife, Michelle, reside in Edina with their sons, William and Gabe.