By Craig Peters, Vikings.com.
Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman on Thursday said that Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer will serve as interim head coach in place of Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer when Minnesota hosts Dallas tonight.
Zimmer underwent emergency eye surgery for a detached retina on Wednesday night. It was the third procedure the third-year head coach has had since discovering a problem with his right eye after the Vikings played the Bears in Chicago on Oct. 31.
“We felt this was for the best interest of his health,” Spielman said.
Spielman said this will be the first NFL game ever missed by Zimmer, who began his career in the pros as a Cowboys assistant coach in 1994.
Zimmer coached the Dallas secondary before making his mark as a defensive coordinator with the Cowboys from 2000-06, followed by holding the same role with Atlanta in 2007 and Cincinnati from 2008-13 before his hire in Minnesota.
Zimmer even coached the Sunday that followed the unexpected passing of his wife, Vikki, and helped lead the Bengals past the Baltimore Ravens in 2009.
Spielman said it was tough to convince Zimmer to stay away because of how “hard-headed and tough-minded” he is.
“We had some pretty significant talks one-on-one, heart-to-heart about what is important in life and what isn’t,” Spielman said. “I think after we’ve had a conversation and I expressed to him specifically that not going blind in one eye is more important than one game in the NFL.
“We have to look out for your long-term health. We have to look out at what’s best for you, and that’s the number one concern that anyone is worried about,’ ” Spielman explained. “I think he finally came to realize that today, but it’s very difficult for him to handle because of his personality, because of his perseverance, because of his wanting to be out there and lead the team tonight.”
Spielman said Zimmer prepared the Vikings all week but his vision became worse during a walk-through Wednesday evening, and the emergency surgery was scheduled. Zimmer was at home on Thursday resting from the procedure. He will be allowed medically to watch the game on television.
Spielman said Pat Shurmur, the interim offensive coordinator, will continue his focus on the offense, and Defensive Coordinator George Edwards will continue to handle the defense.
The general manager said Priefer’s role as special teams coordinator includes many game-management situations each week, as well as work with players from the offense and defense.
“They are ready and prepared because Coach Zimmer coached them all week,” Spielman said. “We had a normal week of preparation heading into tonight’s game. It’s unfortunate that this incident happened last night before today’s game, but I have the utmost confidence in the coaches and our players that they will be prepared and ready to go.”
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