Sports
Pep Guardiola once again stands on the brink of greatness and only Mikel Arteta can stop him
Pep Guardiola’s claim to greatness stems from much more than just the Carabao Cup but a man who has won much else is now one victory away from being out on his own as the most successful manager in its history. Only the ally turned enemy, Mikel Arteta, who was by his side for the first two of his four Wembley triumphs in this competition, can deny him a fifth, which would take him clear of Brian Clough, Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson.
Newcastle could not halt him. Their defence of their first major trophy since 1969 ended with a whimper. Their chances of a comeback were all but ended inside seven minutes, gone completely after 32 minutes and snuffed out in part by the goalkeeper they forever try to buy. They were dispatched from the competition by a much-weakened Manchester City side.
Even as Guardiola gave Erling Haaland 70 minutes of rest, he had the ideal alternative. Some 42 percent of Omar Marmoush’s City goals have been against Newcastle, even if his double came in distinctly fortunate fashion. Newcastle had no such luck, no potency when it mattered. Wembley glory last year came courtesy of Alexander Isak but the Swede is gone and so, now, is their trophy. Anthony Gordon, their outstanding individual over 180 minutes in the 2025 semi-final against Arsenal, limped off. It was another indication of how times have changed.
The sad reality for Newcastle is that City progressed while prioritising Sunday’s trip to Liverpool. Rodri, Rayan Cherki, the fit-again Ruben Dias and Gianluigi Donnarumma joined Haaland on the bench, though Guardiola ended up summoning three of them for the last 20 minutes. The injured Bernardo Silva was not even a replacement. Nico O’Reilly stood in as a midfielder, as he had done at St James’ Park three weeks ago, and again impressed.
And much of the hard work was done on Tyneside. In the rematch, their task was to avoid a repeat of Sunday. City had squandered a 2-0 lead over Tottenham. They entered this game with the same advantage, and produced a very different outcome.
They were soon ahead. Minus Haaland, Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo were the spearheads of a 4-2-2-2 formation. Each was prominent from the off.
For his first goal, as Dan Burn tackled Marmoush, the ball ricocheted in off the Egyptian. There may have been something symbolic in that: Burn scored the towering header in last season’s final and now, in his defensive duties, he inadvertently contributed to City leading.
Marmoush’s second came courtesy of Kieran Trippier, in attempting to clear Semenyo’s low cross, only succeeded in spooning the ball up in the air. Marmoush headed it over the line from a yard.
Semenyo, scorer of the first in the first leg, played a part in two goals in the second. When Burn tackled him, the ball fell for Tijjani Reijnders to finish. The Dutchman should have scored a second from a similar position, though, at that stage, it would have felt cruel to score City’s sixth of the tie.
Because Newcastle’s hopes had been snuffed out by a man invariably on their wishlist. Eddie Howe targets James Trafford every summer. The goalkeeper demonstrated why. Fine saves from Joe Willock, Gordon and Trippier, all at 1-0, denied United an equaliser on the night. He later denied Sven Botman in what was probably the finest display of his City career and, even without getting the reward of a clean sheet, pressed his case to play at Wembley.
If Guardiola’s selection choices worked, Howe’s did not. He had used a back three to considerable success in last season’s semi-final against Arsenal. Repeating that strategy backfired. Despite Newcastle’s many defenders, they were caught on the break for City’s second and third goals.
When Howe made a triple attacking change, the opportunities Newcastle fashioned should leave them with regrets they were not more positive from the off. Yoane Wissa missed a terrific chance with his first touch.
But, some 32 games into his Newcastle career, Anthony Elanga finally scored his first goal, after a terrific solo run. The former Manchester United winger’s name was chorused by the travelling Tynesiders and he ought to have had a second. Harvey Barnes also looked a threat.
It prompted Guardiola to send for Rodri, Cherki and Haaland and, from the Frenchman’s pass, the Norwegian had a shot tipped on to the post by Aaron Ramsdale. It spared Newcastle further punishment but this was a familiar outcome. They have lost their last 12 games at the Etihad Stadium, conceding 40 goals.
Some of the City faithful still stayed away. The empty seats were referenced in taunts by the Newcastle fans. Perhaps their City counterparts were saving their money for Wembley. They will go there, to face Arsenal and Arteta.
Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer.
The easiest ways to shoot lower scores for most recreational golfers come from fixing fundamentals — and the simple ones at that. That means dialing in your grip, ball position, aim, posture, etc. It may not be fun to work on these things, but getting them in a consistent place will do wonders for your game.
Aim may be the most consequential of these fundamentals once you get to the course. If you aren’t aimed where you think you are, you’re putting yourself in a poor position before you even swing the club.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve hit a terrible shot on the course only to discover you were aimed directly where you hit it. Sometimes, our brain will play tricks on us and make you feel like you’re aimed one way, when in reality you are aligned in a totally different spot.
If that sounds like you, watch the video below. It’ll teach you an easy trick for alignment so you never have to worry about where you’re aimed again.
Try this aim trick
There are only two areas where you get to place your ball before you hit a shot (assuming you’re playing it down): the green and the tee box. When you’re on the green, you always line up your ball when you place it down, so why not do the same thing on the tee box?
When I go to tee up my ball, I always point the logo or my sharpie line down my target line. It doesn’t have to be super precise, but by having that line pointed down my target line, I can take my stance with confidence knowing I’m aimed properly.
If you want to get your ball lined up even more precisely, try choosing an intermediate target in between your ball and the distant target. I like finding a discoloration in the grass or divot and then using that as my intermediate target. With that spot picked out, I line my ball up pointing right at it.
When you are having trouble with your aim, sometimes you’ll put the ball down aimed correctly only to find that when you step up to the ball it feels all wrong. That’s ok! So long as you orient the ball correctly when you place it, you can swing away knowing you’re aimed at your target.
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The 2026 Winter Olympics sports program opened with the first curling matches scheduled in Italy‘s Cortina on Wednesday night, two days before the official opening ceremony.
Several hundred spectators watched as eight teams unpacked their equipment in the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
The matches had barely begun when a brief power outage blacked out the scoreboards for the matchups between Sweden and South Korea, Great Britain and Norway, Canada and the Czech Republic, and Estonia and Switzerland.
The officials paused the matches when the lights dimmed and flickered, and when the main lights and heat in the nearby media center went out.
However, the curlers continued sliding on the ice to stay ready, and the fans cheered when the bright lights returned soon after and play resumed.
The organizers acknowledged the brief interruption to the competition “due to an energy-related issue” and noted that it lasted approximately three minutes.
First Olympic results
The British pair of Bruce Mouat and Jennifer Dodds started their journey with an 8-6 victory over the Norwegians. Sweden, Canada, and Estonia also won their opening matches.
The reigning Olympic champions in the mixed doubles, Italy, will begin their bid for gold against South Korea on Thursday.
The opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics on Friday will primarily take place at the San Siro football stadium in Milan. Three other venues will host the traditional parade of athletes, reflecting the widespread nature of this year’s Olympics.
The Games will use a variety of existing venues, stretching 350 kilometers (217 miles) across northern Italy from Cortina to Milan.
Edited by: Sean Sinico
Pep Guardiola said Manchester City will ask the Football League for permission to play Marc Guehi in the Carabao Cup final after they breezed past Newcastle to set up a showdown with Arsenal.
The ineligible Guehi had to watch from the sidelines as City beat the Magpies 3-1 in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night, completing a 5-1 aggregate win.
While fellow new boy Antoine Semenyo could play, Guehi was ineligible because he joined City after the first leg against Newcastle took place – and the rules mean the England international will be ineligible again come the final on March 22.
Guardiola acknowledged he did not expect City to be successful, but said they will make their case regardless.
“Why should he not play? Why not?” Guardiola said. “He’s our player, we pay his salary, we hired him…
“We want to ask. I said to the club we have to ask definitely. I don’t understand the reason why he cannot play in the final of the Carabao Cup in March when he has been here a long time…
“Of course we are going to ask because it’s pure logic. (But) to change the rule, no way. But we will try.”
Omar Marmoush was the star for City as he scored the opening two goals of the night before Tijjani Reijnders added a third, all inside 35 minutes.
Guardiola would have been concerned by the number of chances Newcastle created after the break, but with Anthony Elanga’s 62nd-minute strike the only one they converted, City were never overly troubled.
The win continues City’s run of having played at Wembley at least once every season since 2010-11.
“I do not take it for granted,” Guardiola said. “I know how difficult it is. I don’t know how many semi-finals and finals we have played in the FA Cup but it’s really good, and in 10 years five Carabao Cup finals so it’s really good: top, top, top.”
Marmoush, who previously scored a hat-trick against Newcastle, once again grabbed his chance against the Magpies with Erling Haaland starting on the bench.
“He gives us a special quality,” Guardiola said of the Egyptian. “His pace, his moments in behind, and his work ethic.”
Newcastle arrived in Manchester trailing 2-0 from the opening leg and knowing a strong start was essential.
Instead, they found themselves quickly 3-0 down and effectively out of it.
“(I was) really annoyed with the first half display,” boss Eddie Howe said. “We pride ourselves on being really organised and tactically we want to be able to handle any problem the opposition gives us. That first half we weren’t good enough individually and our duels were off and it gave us huge problems.”
To add to Howe’s worries, Anthony Gordon was forced off before half-time.
“It looks like a hamstring problem,” Howe said. “I don’t qute know how bad it was but it was enough for him to come off so that’s a big worry.”
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The Maryland Freedom Caucus, a group of GOP delegates in the Maryland state legislature, made a post on social media showing a sign that appeared to have been hung by Democrat colleagues, dismissing concerns over trans athletes in women’s sports.
The post claimed the sign was hung Wednesday, which was National Women & Girls in Sports Day.
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The sign, which has a signature from the Maryland Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus, was hung on the offices of Democrat state delegates Eric Ebersole and Nick Allen.
The sign makes the unsubstantiated point that “trans women have no competitive advantage,” in women’s sports. In 2021, the British Journal of Sports Medicine published a study that said transgender women maintain an advantage over biological women even after a year of hormone therapy treatment.
Democrats who voted down a bill to protect trans athletes in sports. (Fox News)
The sign also went on to state, “anti-dignity policies put transgender youth at risk,” “banning transgender youth is illegal,” and “invasive enforcement creates fear.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Ebersole, Allen and the Maryland Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus for a response.
The post and apparent sign comes a day before the Maryland state legislature is set to vote on the Fairness in Girls’ Sports Act.
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The bill would require “certain interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams or sports sponsored by certain schools and certain locker rooms to be expressly designated based on biological sex; prohibiting certain entities from taking certain adverse actions against a school for maintaining separate interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams or sports or locker rooms for students of the female sex.”
So far, 27 states in the U.S. have similar laws in effect that enforce bans on trans athletes in girls’ sports.
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With the new ice hockey arena in Milan and the new ice rink in Cortina both finished just in time, the 25th Winter Olympics can begin.
Cortina d’Ampezzo is hosting the Olympics for the second time. Seventy years ago, in 1956, the seventh edition of the Games was held entirely in the winter sports resort in the Italian Dolomites.
What are the key dates and sports for the 2026 Winter Games?
The Games will officially open on February 6 at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan, better known as San Siro, where Inter and AC Milan usually play football. The arena can seat 75,000 spectators. The first competitions will begin two days before the opening ceremony, on February 4, with curling.
A total of around 2,900 athletes (47% of whom are women) from more than 90 countries will compete for a total of 116 gold, silver and bronze medals. Germany will be represented by 188 winter athletes, more than ever before at the Winter Games.
Ski mountaineering will be an Olympic sport for the first time. The competitions will mostly be held on circular courses. The athletes will climb the slope with the bottom of their skis covered in climbing skins, synthetic fabric that prevents sliding down. At the top, they will remove the skins and then ski down.
Ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating, and short track will take place in Milan, while women’s alpine skiing, luge, bobsleigh, skeleton and curling will be in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Other locations in northeastern Italy are also included. The biathlon in Antholz, Livigno will host freestyle skiing and snowboarding, and Bormio and Val di Fiemme will share men’s alpine skiing and ski mountaineering. This means that the Games will not be short-distance: Milan and Antholz are 350 kilometers (217 miles) apart.
The 2026 Winter Games will end on February 22 with the closing ceremony in the evocative ampitheater known as Verona Arena, which has a capacity of 12,000 and lies to the east of Milan.
Are Russian and Belarusian athletes allowed to compete?
As was the case at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, only individual athletes are allowed to compete — and only if they have no ties to the army or security services, and have not publicly spoken out in favor of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. Only then are they considered “neutral.” In addition, they must have qualified for the Olympics in their respective sports. A three-member IOC review panel grants any final permission to compete.
According to information from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), 13 winter athletes from Russia and seven from Belarus are expected to participate (as of January 29, 2026). At the Summer Games in Paris in 2024, 15 athletes from Russia and 17 from Belarus were admitted as neutral athletes.
In December, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the exclusion of “neutral” Russian and Belarusian skiers from Olympic qualifications.
At the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, 216 Russians were only allowed to compete under a neutral flag, but for a different reason: the state-sponsored doping system in Russia had been uncovered. The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, four days after the end of the Games in Beijing.
Who will be responsible for security during the Games?
According to the IOC, security is “the responsibility of the host country’s authorities, who will work closely with the participating delegations.” Reportedly, around 6,000 police and other security personnel will be on duty. By comparison, more than 50,000 were deployed at the Games in Paris.
The announcement that officials from the controversial US immigration agency ICE would also be sent to the Olympic Games to ensure the safety of US guests of honor made headlines around the world. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have announced their visit, but President Donald Trump has not yet done so.
However, the US ambassador to Italy, Tilman J. Fertitta, said that the ICE officers would be deployed “only in an advisory and intelligence capacity, without patrolling or enforcement measures.”
This is likely in reference to the Homeland Security Investigations unit, which is a unit within ICE that focuses on cross-border crimes. It frequently sends officers to events like the Olympics to help with security, and they are completely seperate from those currently at the forefront of the immigration crackdown in the US. Nevertheless, the news of any ICE presence has increased tension in Italy.
How are the doping controls carried out?
As in Beijing in 2022, the IOC has commissioned the Switzerland-based International Testing Authority (ITA) to carry out doping tests in most sports. Pre-Olympic controls began at the end of October, with a further 3,000 tests planned during the Games in Milan and Cortina. For the first time, baggage checks will be carried out at airports with the aim of seizing suspicious substances.
However, the world federations for skiing, biathlon, ice hockey and curling are not cooperating with the ITA, but are organizing doping controls in their respective sports themselves.
Urine and blood samples will be stored for up to ten years so that doping offenders can still be exposed later using possible new analysis methods. The CAS will have its own office on site during the Games so that it can quickly rule on doping offenses.
Will the 2026 Games be a success?
That depends on many factors. According to the organizing committee, more than half of the tickets had already been sold by the beginning of November 2025. Prices range from €30 ($36) to €2,900 for the most expensive ticket for the closing ceremony in Verona. Atmosphere will likely play a key role in gauging the success of the Games.
For particularly popular events such as the alpine skiing competitions, only expensive tickets, or so-called hospitality packages, are still available. For €3,500 you get a ticket, brunch and other special services.
It remains to be seen whether the organizers will ultimately be in the black at the end of the month. The budget for the Olympic and subsequent Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina is around €1.6 billion. According to official figures, the last Winter Games in Beijing cost €3.3 billion, but researchers at Oxford University in England calculated in a study that the cost was more than double that amount (€7.33 billion).
This article was originally written in German.
As a gear-free agent, Justin Rose can pick whatever clubs he wants to play, and the irons he chooses make gear nerds salivate.
After spending last year with a split set involving Titleist 620 CB long irons, Rose has now moved into a full set of Miura irons, split between the new TC-202 cavity backs and the MC-502 blades in the short irons.
That blended iron set was dialed last week at the Farmers Insurance Open, as Rose was second in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, on his way to a seven-shot win.
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The TC-202 is one of the newest additions to the Miura lineup, replacing the highly successful TC-201, which was the last Miura iron to win on the PGA Tour before Rose’s victory last summer at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
A new T-Weight Bar in the back cavity combines the heel-toe weighting that made the TC-201 so forgiving with the center mass distribution found in the CB 57. By placing the mass right behind the sweet spot, the T-Weight Bar helps optimize both trajectory control and the sound and feel of the TC-202.
The TC-202s also have a progressive CG that gets lower as you go down through the set, which is why Rose chooses them for his 4-, 5- and 6-iron to help launch the ball in the air.
Meanwhile, his MC-502 short irons are a set of blades that focus on playability, two things that usually don’t go hand-in-hand. But the notch along the back of the iron moves mass lower, where it’s more useful, while allowing the club to keep a compact profile.
Miura MC-502 Custom Irons
New to the MC-502 is an increase in face progression (less offset), which has always been a welcomed look for the better player. Additionally, a softer, more rounded top line and toe profile found their way from the sketch pad to the final product. The result is an iron that is easy to align while delivering an unrivaled level of confidence and playability.
There were no compromises when it came to the new design. The sound, feel and performance, which have been hallmarks of Miura irons since 1957, embodied the finished product.
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Both irons feature Miura’s Y-Grind, which has a pre-worn leading edge for better turf interaction.
Think the MC-502 or TC-202 (or both) might be a good fit for you ,or just got fit into them and ready to pull the trigger? Check out the MC-502 or TC-202 on Fairway Jockey where you can customize every piece of your build and rest assured that what you order is what you get.
Want to overhaul your bag for 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.
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Lionel Messi has been linked with a surprise move to Galatasaray, a transfer that could see him play alongside Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen at the Turkish club.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is currently on a break from competitive football, with the new Major League Soccer season set to begin on February 21.
With the 2026 World Cup drawing closer, Messi is believed to be considering a short spell outside the United States to stay fit and sharp ahead of the tournament.
Reports in Turkey claim that talks have already taken place between Galatasaray and the Argentine star. Messi is said to be open to a four-month deal that would see him play 12 matches for the club.
However, the move would depend on a key condition. Messi is reportedly only willing to play matches in Istanbul and does not want to feature in away games. He is said to prefer playing exclusively at RAMS Park.
It is also claimed that Messi turned down an offer from Saudi club Al Hilal, as he is keen to avoid injuries before the World Cup.
Galatasaray are believed to have opened discussions with Messi and his representatives as they explore the possibility of completing the deal before the transfer window closes on Thursday.
The Turkish champions have six home matches left in the league, one home game in the Turkish Cup group stage and a home tie in the UEFA Champions League play-off against Juventus. It is unclear if Messi would be willing to play the away leg against the Italian side if the move goes through.
Galatasaray are currently assessing whether the deal is realistic, with talks said to be moving quickly.
If completed, Messi would team up with Osimhen, who has become a key player at the club. Osimhen helped Galatasaray win a domestic double in the 2024/25 season, scoring 37 goals in 47 matches across all competitions.
Messi, on his part, led Inter Miami to their first-ever MLS Cup title in 2025.
Galatasaray currently sit top of the Turkish Super Lig with 49 points, three ahead of rivals Fenerbahce, with 14 matches still to play.
The club’s president has previously hinted that a move for Messi was not impossible, insisting that Galatasaray’s financial position and growing success allow them to dream big.
It is head-spinning, to think about how quickly things have changed here. As a wise man once said, managing is about managing change. When Koepka went LIV — June 2022 — the Tour was still the Tour, the one your grandparents would have pretty much recognized. There was a straight line from Joe Dey (the first commissioner) to Jay Monahan (the fourth and last). What the Tour leadership has done since the arrival of LIV is manage change, sometimes clumsily, now in the language that makes the whole world take notice: We gonna make you some money.
Inside Brooks Koepka’s PGA Tour return: A call to Tiger, a nervy reunion
;)
Koepka is lucky that he is not making this return when Joe Dey was running the show. Dey, who came to the nascent PGA Tour after a long career at the USGA, was a rule-of-law golfing ethicist. The sanctity of the scorecard was his starting point, and golf’s starting point, for everything. The comportment of the player was a sacred to him, too. To varying degrees, the commissioners who followed Dey — Deane Beman, Tim Finchem, Jay Monahan — all carried the Dey flame. There was something righteous about being a golfer on Tour, at least when the sun was out. (At night, you were on your own.) Any of the four commissioners might have extracted a promise from the returning Koepka: Don’t be waving five fingers to others after playing a 5-iron shot. Also, my good man: Could you at least pretend that your media sessions are less irritating than those let’s-try-it-again secondary TSA inspections?
As for Reed, Dey and Beman in particular would have had a field day with him, in his meet-the-principal session before returning to the Tour: We cannot have any more rules debacles (incidents at the 2019 Hero event and the 2021 Farmers tournament are at the top of the list), and we cannot have any more frivolous lawsuits aimed at beloved members of the Green Division of the Fourth Estate.
Koepka’s return has created a template for how you get back. You write a letter, you sign a check, you play a tourney feeling kinda bashful, you get your groove back over time.
The friendly-wager bets here are Koepka top-10s this week; the New England Patriots will cover the spread (and then some) in the big game, for no other reason than the Fenway Sports Group is on a roll and this game is FSG-adjacent; Coors Light will win the exposure game during the day, the golf telecast on CBS, but Mich Ultra and its Anheuser-Busch adult cousins will carry the night on NBC, during the big game. Here’s to Sunday. Bartenders really should be able to get endorsement deals for their TV remotes, what your grandparents called “the clicker.”
Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at michael.bamberger@golf.com.
Arsenal moved a step closer to ending their long wait for major silverware after edging past Chelsea to book a place in the Carabao Cup final.
Holding a 3–2 advantage from the first leg, the Gunners completed the job with a dramatic late goal in a tense second-leg clash at the Emirates Stadium.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the seventh minute of added time when substitute Kai Havertz kept his composure to score the winner. The German forward skipped past goalkeeper Robert Sanchez before calmly finishing to spark wild celebrations among the home fans.
Mikel Arteta’s side will now face either Manchester City or Newcastle United in next month’s final at Wembley, as they chase their first major trophy since 2020.
Arsenal began the match on the front foot but found clear chances hard to come by in the opening half, with Chelsea setting up in a defensive back five. The visitors stayed compact and frustrated the hosts for long periods.
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior tried to change the momentum just after the hour mark by introducing attacking options, including Cole Palmer, but Arsenal remained organised and rarely looked troubled at the back.
As the game drifted towards extra time, Arsenal continued to push, and their persistence was rewarded in the dying moments. Havertz, recently back from injury, showed sharpness and confidence to deliver the decisive goal and secure a 4–2 aggregate victory.
The Gunners last lifted a major trophy when they beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final in Arteta’s first season in charge. They had not reached the League Cup final since 2018.
This latest success underlines Arsenal’s progress this season. They sit top of the Premier League, remain active in other cup competitions and now have a clear chance to turn their strong form into silverware.
With a settled squad and growing belief, Arteta’s side will head to Wembley hopeful that this could be the start of a trophy-winning chapter.
If you think the Minnesota Vikings are “running it back” with their coaching staff, that just isn’t the case. Over the last few weeks, the club has lost six coaches and counting, mostly to promotions, while head coach Kevin O’Connell continues to backfill the positions.
Six departures have piled up, forcing Minnesota to reshuffle some jobs early in the 2026 offseason.
Yes, O’Connell’s coaching tree is germinating.
Six Departures Change O’Connell’s Staff
The 2026 offseason didn’t skimp on purple coaching changes.
Brian Angelichio (offensive passing game)
New Job: Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinator
Angelichio departed Minnesota on Wednesday, heading to Mike McCarthy’s new staff in Pittsburgh. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted, “The Steelers are finalizing a deal to hire Vikings passing game coordinator Brian Angelichio as their new offensive coordinator, per me and Tom Pelissero. Angelichio, also the TEs coach, is back with coach Mike McCarthy. They were together in Green Bay.”
It’s the top job Angelichio has held in college and professional football through 30 years, and he’ll inherit a stout offensive line, along with wide receiver DK Metcalf, running back Jaylen Warren — and perhaps even Aaron Rodgers.
Minnesota will need a new passing game coordinator on offense.
Marcus Dixon (defensive line)
New Job: Dallas Cowboys Defensive Line Coach
Dixon’s contract wasn’t renewed this offseason; he evidently stayed his welcome. But in Dallas, he’ll work for Brian Schottenheimer and notably lead defensive tackles like Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark. Life would be easier for Dixon if Micah Parsons still patrolled Dallas’s defense, but that’s not possible after the Cowboys shipped him to Green Bay five months ago.
Ryan Nielson, who interviewed for the Vikings’ defensive coordinator position in 2023, will take over Dixon’s spot after notably coordinating the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense in 2024.
Michael Hutchings (safeties)
New Job: University of California Defensive Coordinator
Hutchings actually left town in December before the end of the regular season, jumping at the chance to lead the Cal Bears’ defense.
SI.com‘s Jeff Faraudo wrote around Christmas, “New Cal football coach Tosh Lupoi continues to assemble a young staff of assistants, officially announcing the hiring on Friday of Minnesota Vikings assistant Michael Hutchings as the Bears’ defensive coordinator.”
“Hutchings, a Bay Area native who was a prep All-American at De La Salle High School and played linebacker at USC, comes to Cal later three seasons coaching defensive backs with the Vikings, the past two years as safeties coach. In that role, he worked with former Cal star Cam Bynum, who had three interceptions during the 2024 NFL season.”
The Vikings’ safety job remains vacant in early February.
Daronte Jones (defensive passing game)
New Job: Washington Commanders Defensive Coordinator
Perhaps the biggest news of this coaching style — after Brian Flores signing an extension to remain with the Vikings — Jones will get his crack at an NFL defense all by himself. He spent five seasons in Minnesota, but left for a year in 2021 to coach LSU’s defense.
Jones won’t walk into a dream situation, yet he’ll have the tutelage of head coach Dan Quinn, who comes from a staunch defensive background.
These players are already on Jones’s depth chart: Trey Amos (CB), Javon Kinlaw (DT), Frankie Luvu (LB), Jer’Zhan Newton (DT), Daron Payne (DT), Jeremy Reaves (S), and Mike Sainristil (CB).
Minnesota hired Steelers defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander to replace Jones. SteelersNow‘s Chris Ward on Alexander: “Alexander is a big loss for the Steelers, especially with how cornerback Joey Porter Jr. developed under his stewardship.”
“He spent the 2024 season with the Las Vegas Raiders as a safeties coach under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who’s now the DC with the Steelers. Alexander will work under defensive coordinator Brian Flores in Minnesota. Flores was a finalist for the Steelers’ head coach position.”
Chris Kuper (offensive line)
New Job: N/A
The Vikings’ offensive line underachieved in 2025, even after formulating a formidable fivesome that included Christian Darrisaw, Donovan Jackson, Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, and Brian O’Neill. Injuries rattled the unit, too, and the trenches never really found their groove.
So, O’Connell did not renew Kuper’s contract, and he remains a coaching free agent.
Assistant offensive line coach Keith Carter accepted a promotion to Kuper’s spot last month.
Mike Pettine (assistant head coach)
New Job: N/A
Pettine retired a few weeks ago and claimed he may return to the NFL in time. He later revealed in an interview with a Cleveland Browns-themed podcast that he and the aforementioned Flores didn’t see eye to eye, which is probably why Pettine exited stage left.
O’Connell used Pettine on the offensive side of the coaching staff in 2025 because Pettine couldn’t deal with Flores, or so he implied on the podcast.
Pettine originally joined the Vikings at the dawn of the O’Connell era in 2022.
The Miami Dolphins’ offensive coordinator for the last four seasons, Frank Smith, has taken over for Pettine as assistant head coach, and many believe Smith will force the Vikings to run the football more often and more efficiently. They need it.
Struggle with alignment off the tee? Try this simple aim hack
Anthropic’s new Cowork plugins prompt sell-off in software shares
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LISA – ‘MONEY’ Dance Practice [Mirrored]
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