Maryland Special Teams Coordinator Chili Davis Heads to NFL’s Vikings
Vikings Add Maryland Special Teams Coordinator to Coaching Staff
The Minnesota Vikings are bolstering their special teams unit with the addition of Chili Davis, currently the special teams coordinator at the University of Maryland. Davis will serve as an assistant special teams coordinator in Minnesota, according to reports surfacing on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
Davis’s move to the NFL comes just a week after he was formally promoted to special teams coordinator at Maryland by head coach Mike Locksley. The promotion, announced last week, restructured staff duties, shifting Andre Powell’s focus solely to running backs after he had coordinated special teams the previous fall.
Prior to his promotion at Maryland, Davis served as the Terps’ assistant special teams coordinator since February 2025. He brings a decade of coaching experience to the Vikings, having previously worked at Kansas State, Florida A&M, Washington, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech, Fordham, and Campbell.
Davis also spent a year with the Los Angeles Rams as a special teams assistant under Sean McVay, gaining valuable NFL experience before returning to the college ranks.
In Minnesota, Davis will join a special teams unit led by Matt Daniels, who has been the Vikings’ special teams coordinator since 2022. Daniels previously served as an assistant special teams coach with the Dallas Cowboys before joining Kevin O’Connell’s staff in Minnesota.
Beyond special teams, Davis has a diverse coaching background, having worked with inside receivers, tight ends, and running backs on offense, and even as a corners coach at Fordham in 2016. This versatility could prove valuable to the Vikings as they continue to refine their coaching staff.
The Vikings are currently finalizing updates to Head Coach O’Connell’s staff as the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine gets underway in Indianapolis. Other recent coaching staff updates include the hiring of Kyle Caskey as Offensive Quality Control, Will Johnson as Defensive Assistant, and the promotion of Chenzo Funari to Assistant Defensive Backs, Dalmin Gibson to Assistant Linebackers, Josh McCown to Offensive Passing Game Coordinator / Quarterbacks, Derron Montgomery to Assistant Wide Receivers, Mike Siravo to Inside Linebacker / Senior Defensive Assistant, and Jordan Traylor to Assistant Quarterbacks / Passing Game Specialist. Patrick Hill’s position was also changed to Assistant Defensive Line.
O’Connell discussed the changes with Twin Cities media on Tuesday, emphasizing the alignment of roles and responsibilities within the coaching staff. He highlighted a shift in Chris O’Hara’s role to support him and Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips in various facets of offensive operations, including scripting and call sheets.
McCown’s title has also been updated to include offensive passing game coordinator, with O’Connell expressing confidence in McCown’s potential to become a coordinator or even a head coach in the future.