The Minnesota Vikings named Shaun Sarrett assistant offensive line coach on Feb. 22, 2024. Sarrett spent the past three seasons (2021-23) as the Los Angeles Chargers assistant offensive line coach and brings two decades of coaching experience to Head Coach Kevin O'Connell's staff, spanning the high school, collegiate and professional ranks.
During his three seasons in Los Angeles, Sarrett helped the Chargers rank in the top three in the NFL in passing offense in back-to-back seasons (2021-22) and finish top 10 in total offense in each of those seasons. The Chargers concluded the 2021 season tied for second in passing yards per game (282.4) and fourth in total yards per game (390.2), while they ranked third in passing yards per game (269.6) and ninth in total yards per game (359.3) in 2022. The offensive line also contributed to Los Angeles scoring the fifth most points per game (27.9) in 2021.
Under Sarrett's guidance in 2022, the offensive line helped QB Justin Herbert become the first player in NFL history to surpass 4,000 passing yards in each of his first three seasons and join Hall of Famer Peyton Manning as the only players to record at least 25 touchdowns passes in three consecutive seasons to begin a career. The unit also blocked for RB Austin Ekeler, who led the NFL for a second-straight season with 18 touchdowns from scrimmage and set single-season career highs with 1,637 yards from scrimmage, 915 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns and 107 receptions.
In his first season with the Chargers in 2021, Sarrett helped coach C Corey Linsley and develop rookie T Rashawn Slater, the 13th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. Both linemen were named to the Associated Press All-Pro Second Team and were voted to the Pro Bowl as starters, marking the first pair of Chargers offensive linemen to be named to the Pro Bowl since 2008. Slater was also named to the All-AFC and All-Rookie Teams by Professional Football Writers of America.
The offensive line helped Hebert set single-season franchise records in passing yards (5,014) and passing touchdowns (38) during the 2021 season. On the ground, Ekeler totaled 12 rushing touchdowns, which was the most by a Charger since Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson in 2009. The offensive line also contributed to Los Angeles' single-season team records for first downs (401) and passing touchdowns (38) during the 2021 season.
Sarrett entered the NFL coaching ranks with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2012, spending nine seasons with the organization (2012-20). As the offensive line coach in his final two seasons in Pittsburgh and assistant offensive line coach during the 2018 season, Sarrett coached both G David DeCastro and C Maurkice Pouncey to three-consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. Pouncey was also named AP All-Pro Second Team in 2018. During his first six seasons as offensive assistant (2012-17), the Steelers led the AFC in total offense in both 2014 and 2015 and ranked in the top five in the NFL four out of Sarrett's nine cumulative seasons with Pittsburgh. The club secured five AFC North Division titles during Sarrett's tenure with the Steelers.
Sarrett began his coaching career at Streetsboro High School (Ohio) in 2004, working with both the offensive and defensive lines and guiding the team's strength and conditioning efforts. After a year at the prep level, Sarrett spent a season working as a defensive quality control coach at Marshall University (2005), before serving as an offensive graduate assistant for the Thundering Herd for two seasons (2006-07). He then went to Duke University as an offensive assistant/offensive quality control for four seasons (2008-11).
A native of Beckley, W.Va., Sarrett played four years on the offensive line at Kent State (2000-03), graduating in 2004 with a degree in health education. Sarrett is married to his wife, Amy.
