Mike Pettine (PETT-in) enters his third season with the Minnesota Vikings as the assistant head coach and his first full season as outside linebackers coach after stepping in to coach the position during the 2023 season. He adds more than 30 years of overall coaching experience to Head Coach Kevin O'Connell's staff, spanning the high school, collegiate and professional ranks.
This past season, Pettine helped the Vikings defense improve from 31st overall in 2022 to 16th in 2023, including posting top-eight rankings in both rushing yards per play (fourth) and rushing yards per game (eighth). The Vikings tallied 43 sacks during the 2023 season, with OLBs Danielle Hunter (16.5 sacks) and D.J. Wonnum (8.0) accounting for 24.5, the fourth-most sacks between two defensive ends in franchise history.
Under Pettine's guidance, Hunter was voted to his fourth career Pro Bowl and first as a starter in 2024. Hunter, who started every game for the Vikings in 2023, tied for the NFL lead in tackles for loss, recording 23 (Maxx Crosby). He finished fifth in the league in sacks with 16.5, which marked a single-season career high, and his four forced fumbles tied for the fifth-most league wide. Hunter was the only player in the league in 2023 to record at least 22 TFLs and 16 sacks.
In 2022, Pettine helped coach the Vikings defense to the third-most passes defensed in the NFL (87), including 15 interceptions, which was tied for 10th in the league. Under Pettine's guidance, outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith finished the season with 100 sacks, marking his third season with double-digit sacks. Cornerback Patrick Peterson ranked sixth in the NFL in passes defensed (15) and eighth in interceptions (5).
In 2021, Pettine helped get the Chicago defense back to the top 10 in total defense, finishing the season as the sixth-ranked unit, allowing only 316.7 yards per game. Under Pettine's guidance, pass rusher Robert Quinn finished second in sacks (18.5), and Roquan Smith finished fifth in the league in total tackles (163). Chicago's defense also recorded 49 sacks on the season, the fourth-most in the league.
In his final season in Green Bay, Pettine helped the Packers to the NFC Championship Game, leading a defense that ranked No. 7 in the NFL in passing yards allowed (221.2) and No. 9 in total yards allowed (334.0) in 2020. The Packers also ranked third in fewest plays allowed of 20+ yards, eighth in red zone scoring efficiency (57.7%) and tied for 10th in sacks (41). Following the season, edge rusher Za'Darius Smith and CB Jaire Alexander were named Second-Team All-Pro by The Associated Press.
In 2019, Pettine guided a defense that ranked No. 9 in points allowed (19.6 ppg), the first time the Packers had finished in the top 10 in the NFL in the category since 2010. It marked Green Bay's biggest one-year improvement in scoring defense (5.4-point decrease from 2018) since 1996 (13.1 ppg after allowing 19.6 ppg in 1995). Green Bay also ranked in the top 10 in the league in interceptions (17, tied-third), takeaways (25, tied-seventh) and opponent passer rating (81.1, sixth) in 2019. The 2019 Packers were one of only five teams in the NFL to allow fewer than 20 points per game and post 40-plus sacks and 25-plus takeaways. Green Bay's defense featured the first duo in team history (since 1982) to post 12-plus sacks each in the same season in linebackers Za'Darius Smith (career-high 13.5) and Preston Smith (career-best 12.0).
In his first season with the Packers in 2018, Pettine led a defense that was tied for No. 8 in the league in sacks (44), the most by Green Bay since it posted the same number in 2013. Green Bay's defense featured 16 different players with at least a half sack that season, the second most in team history (since 1982) behind only the 1987 campaign (strike season) in which 17 players registered a half-sack or more. Pettine guided the Packers to a No. 12 ranking in pass defense (234.5 yards per game) after the team finished No. 23 in the category in 2017. Green Bay's defense also improved to No. 9 in the league in three-and-out percentage (21.9) after checking in at No. 26 in the category in 2017 and No. 8 in the NFL in opponent red-zone scoring percentage (83.9) after ranking No. 32 in 2017.
In his first season as Cleveland's head coach in 2014, Pettine led the Browns to their most victories (seven) since 2007 as they led the league in opponent passer rating (74.1) and opponent completion percentage (57.1) and ranked No. 2 in interceptions (21). The Browns engineered four fourth-quarter comebacks on the season, including the largest road comeback in NFL history after the team rallied from a 25-point deficit at Tennessee in Week 4, scoring 26 unanswered points to defeat the Titans, 29-28.
Cleveland's defense made significant improvement in nearly every major defensive statistic in 2014, including opponent passer rating (No. 16 in 2013 to No. 1 in 2014), takeaways (tied for No. 24 to tied for No. 4), red zone defense (tied for 29 to No. 5), points allowed per game (No. 23 to No. 9) and third-down defense (31 to No. 11). After finishing the 2013 campaign with a minus-eight turnover margin, the Browns posted a plus-six margin in Pettine's first season, the largest increase by Cleveland in 23 years.
The Browns had four players named to the Pro Bowl for the 2014 season, with safety Tashaun Gipson, CB Joe Haden, tackle Joe Thomas and S Donte Whitner all earning selections. It marked the first time in team history that three defensive backs were selected to the Pro Bowl, and it was the first time the Browns had three defensive players named to the all-star game since 1995. Cleveland also had three players selected to the Pro Bowl in 2015, with Thomas, tight end Gary Barnidge and center Alex Mack all honored. Pettine worked with both Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell when O'Connell was the quarterbacks coach in 2015 and Vikings Tight Ends/Passing Game Coordinator Brian Angelichio when he was the tight ends coach.
Prior to joining the Browns, Pettine spent five seasons as a defensive coordinator in the NFL, helping his units finish in the top 10 in the league in total yards allowed and passing yards allowed in all five seasons. In 2013, he helped the Bills rank No. 2 in the league with a franchise-record 57 sacks as they were the only team in the league to have three players (defensive end Mario Williams and defensive tackles Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus) each register 10-plus sacks. All three players and S Jairus Byrd were selected to the Pro Bowl, with Mario Williams and Byrd also earning Second-Team All-Pro honors from AP. Pettine also oversaw the development of LB Kiko Alonso, who was named the 2013 Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America after leading the team with a career-high 159 tackles, two sacks and four interceptions.
Under Pettine's direction, Buffalo ranked No. 1 in the NFL in 2013 in opponent completion percentage (55.3), No. 2 in interceptions (23), No. 3 in opponent passer rating (74.9), No. 4 in passing yards allowed (204.4 ypg) and tied for No. 6 in takeaways (30). The Bills finished No. 10 in the league in total defense (333.4 ypg) in 2013 after finishing No. 22 (362.9 ypg) in 2012.
During Pettine's four seasons with the Jets (2009-12), the defense ranked No. 1 in the NFL over that span in opponent passer rating (71.0), opponent completion percentage (52.6) and passing yards allowed (186.3 ypg), No. 2 in total yards allowed (294.8 ypg) and third-down defense (34.6%), and No. 7 in points allowed (20.0 ppg) and takeaways (115).
In 2012, Pettine helped the Jets rank No. 2 in the league in passing yards allowed (189.8 ypg) and opponent completion percentage (53.8), No. 6 in yards per attempt (6.49) and No. 7 in opponent passer rating (78.2). Two members of New York's secondary were selected to the Pro Bowl (CB Antonio Cromartie, S LaRon Landry), with Landry earning Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his career.
In 2011, Pettine guided New York to a No. 3 ranking in opponent passer rating (69.6) as the Jets also finished No. 4 in the NFL in opponent completion percentage (54.2) and No. 6 in yards per attempt (6.73). The Jets were tied for No. 5 in the league with 31 takeaways, marking the third straight season under Pettine that the team forced 30-plus turnovers as the Jets joined the Packers as the only two teams in the league to do so from 2009-11.
Pettine helped the Jets rank No. 1 in the league in opponent completion percentage (50.7) and No. 3 in total yards allowed (291.5 ypg) in 2010 as New York advanced to the AFC Championship Game, highlighted by road wins at Indianapolis and New England in the playoffs. New York's defense also ranked No. 3 in the league that season in rushing yards allowed (90.9 ypg) and yards allowed per carry (3.56).
Pettine made an immediate impact in his first season with the Jets in 2009, guiding the defense to No. 1 overall rankings in total yards allowed (252.3), passing yards allowed (153.7 ypg) and points allowed (14.8 ppg). The average of 14.8 points allowed per game set a franchise single-season record, while the average of 252.3 yards allowed per game was the secondbest mark in team history (240.2 ypg in 1968). Pettine's defense gave up 10 or fewer points a league-high seven times in '09, which also set a franchise single-season record. His defense allowed a franchise-low eight passing TDs on the season, the fewest given up by an NFL team in a 16-game season to that point. The Jets also led the league in opponent passer rating (58.8) – the best mark posted by an NFL team since the 2003 Patriots (56.2) – and opponent completion percentage (51.7).
CB Darrelle Revis earned All-Pro First-Team honors from AP and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2009-11 under Pettine's guidance, the lone cornerback in the league to receive first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition in each of those seasons. Revis posted career highs in interceptions (six) and passes defensed (34) in 2009, finishing as the runner-up in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting to Packers CB Charles Woodson.
Prior to joining the Jets, Pettine spent seven seasons (2002-08) with the Baltimore Ravens, serving as the OLB coach for the final four seasons. He helped Baltimore's defense rank second in total yards allowed in 2008, sixth in 2007, first in 2006 and fifth in 2005. The Ravens were tied for fifth in the NFL from 2005-08 with 168 sacks, including a franchise-record 60 in 2006. In 2008, LB Terrell Suggs earned Pro Bowl honors after registering eight sacks and a career-high two INTs returned for touchdowns. Suggs and LB Adalius Thomas both earned Pro Bowl recognition under Pettine's direction in 2006, with Thomas recording a career-high 11 sacks as he finished tied for third among NFL linebackers. Pettine joined the Ravens in 2002, serving as a coaching and video assistant that first season before working as a coaching assistant/quality control coach in 2003 and a defensive assistant in 2004.
Prior to joining the NFL coaching ranks, Pettine was the head coach at North Penn High School (Lansdale, Pa.) from 1997-2001. He led the school to 45 wins in five seasons, including an 11-2 record in 1999. Pettine also served as the head coach at William Tennent High School (Warminster, Pa.) in 1995-96, taking over a team that had won three games total in the previous three seasons. He led the team to five wins in his first season and a school-record nine victories in 1996. Pettine also spent two seasons coaching at the college level, serving as a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh in 1993-94.
Pettine began his coaching career as an assistant to his father, Mike Sr., at Central Bucks West High School in Doylestown, Pa., for five seasons (1988-92). Mike Sr., who coached 33 seasons at the school, retired after the 1999 campaign as the winningest coach in the history of Pennsylvania high school football with a career record of 326-42-4 (.882). Pettine played for his father and earned all-state honors at quarterback and defensive back.
Pettine was a two-year letterman (1986-87) as a free safety at Virginia, leading the team with five interceptions in 1986 and tying the single-game school record for interceptions with three against North Carolina State that season. He graduated with a degree in economics.
Born Sept. 25, 1966, in Doylestown, Pa., Pettine and his wife, Megan, have six children in their combined family: daughters Megan, Katie, Paige and McKenna, and sons, Ryan and Max.
