Adam Zimmer


Adam Zimmer is an American football coach who is the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He has been an assistant defensive backs coach for the Cincinnati Bengals and assistant linebackers' coach for the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints. Zimmer is the son of current Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer.

Early years

Born in Ogden, Utah, Zimmer grew up in Colleyville, Texas and attended Heritage High School while his father Mike Zimmer was a defensive coach for the Dallas Cowboys. His grandfather Bill Zimmer coached football at Lockport Township High School for 35 years. By the age of 10, Zimmer knew that he wanted to follow in his father's and grandfather's footsteps and become a football coach.

Playing career

Zimmer played for the Trinity University Tigers football team as a safety from 2002-2005, where he wore #28.

Coaching career

New Orleans Saints

Zimmer landed his first coaching job with the New Orleans Saints as an assistant linebackers' coach in 2006. During his first season in the NFL, the Saints won the NFC South Division Title and made it to the NFC Championship game. In the 2009 season, Zimmer's final season in New Orleans, the Saints went on to win Super Bowl XLIV.

Kansas City Chiefs

Zimmer became the Chiefs' assistant linebackers coach in the 2010 season. In his first season, he helped the Chiefs allow 46.2 fewer rushing yards per game compared to the year before.
In the 2011 season, linebackers Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson were selected to the Pro Bowl.
During the 2012 season, linebacker Jovan Belcher fatally shot his girlfriend then drove to the Chiefs' facility where he committed suicide in front of head coach Romeo Crennel. Adam Zimmer was strongly affected by this, especially after he had recently lost his mother of natural causes in 2009. Zimmer was let go when Kansas City fired Crennel after the 2012 season.

Cincinnati Bengals

For the 2013 season, Zimmer joined the Bengals alongside his father Mike Zimmer as an assistant defensive backs coach while his dad was the defensive coordinator.

Minnesota Vikings

When Mike Zimmer became the 9th head coach of the Minnesota Vikings for the 2014 season, Adam Zimmer was brought in to be the linebackers' coach. The Vikings won the NFC North Division Title in the 2015 season, allowing only 18.9 points per game on defense, ranked 5th-best in the NFL. Linebacker Anthony Barr was selected to the 2016 Pro Bowl as a replacement for Jamie Collins.
On January 27, 2020, Zimmer and defensive line coach Andre Patterson were named co-defensive coordinators for the 2020 season.