EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings have named Marcus Dixon the team’s defensive line coach and added outside linebacker coach to Assistant Head Coach Mike Pettine’s title. Pettine, who has served as the Vikings assistant head coach in each of the past two seasons (2022-23), also began coaching the outside linebackers during the 2023 season.
Dixon spent the past two seasons (2022-23) as the Denver Broncos defensive line coach and brings six years of collegiate and professional coaching experience to Head Coach Kevin O’Connell’s staff. He entered the NFL coaching ranks with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 as assistant defensive line coach, joining a staff with O’Connell, who was the offensive coordinator.
In his second season with Denver in 2023, Dixon coached a defensive line that helped the Broncos record a league-leading 15 fumble recoveries, the most in franchise history since collecting 16 in 2007. The defensive line also contributed to the Broncos limiting their opponents to a 33.2-percent conversion rate on third downs, the second-lowest percentage league wide in 2023, trailing only the Cleveland Browns (29.13 percent).
Dixon began his coaching career at his alma mater Hampton University (2017-19), where he was a four-year starter on the defensive line from 2004-07. During his tenure with the Pirates, Dixon served as the defensive line coach, director of player development, defensive ends coach and recruiting coordinator.
After entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 2008, Dixon played three seasons with the New York Jets from 2010-12. He appeared in 22 games, recording 21 tackles (15 solo), 2.5 sacks, one pass defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. While with the Jets, Dixon was teammates with O’Connell, and Pettine was the defensive coordinator for New York from 2009-12.
A native of Rome, Georgia, Dixon and his wife, Tesa (TEE-sa), have three children, Rhylee, Madylin and Zoë Olyvia.
Pettine enters his third season with the Vikings as the assistant head coach and his first full season as outside linebackers coach. He has brought more than 30 seasons of overall coaching experience to O’Connell’s staff, stemming in the high school, collegiate and professional ranks.
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