Minnesota announced Mike Siravo will coach inside linebackers and Lance Bennett will join the team as a defensive quality control coach. The Vikings also announced Grant Udinski, who spent the past season in the role of Assistant to the Head Coach/Special Projects, will become assistant quarterbacks coach.
Lance Bennett – Defensive Quality Control
The hirings reconnect Siravo and Bennett with new Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores, who was hired Feb. 6.
Siravo overlapped with Flores at Boston College in 2000 when the former was a graduate assistant at the alma mater they share.
A walk-on, Siravo lettered two seasons (1996-97) before spending the next three as a graduate assistant with the Eagles.
Siravo has 20 seasons of coaching experience at the NFL and college levels, including the past three seasons with the Panthers. He joined Carolina alongside former Head Coach Matt Rhule, with whom he had worked at Temple twice (2006 and 2013-16) and at Baylor from 2017-19.
Mike Siravo – Inside Linebackers
This past season, Siravo was Defensive Run Game Coordinator and helped Carolina rank 12th in rushing yards allowed per carry (4.27), fourth in total tackles (1,078) and ninth in tackles for loss (88).
Siravo worked in Carolina with Vikings Tight Ends Coach/Passing Game Coordinator Brian Angelichio and Udinski, who were both hired in Minnesota by O’Connell last year and helped the Vikings go 13-4 en route to winning the NFC North.
Bennett previously worked as an assistant to Flores when he was head coach of the Dolphins (2019-21). Their time together in Miami reunited the former high school teammates from Brooklyn, New York.
After graduating from Polytechnic Prep Country Day School, Bennett played running back and receiver for the Indiana Hoosiers (2003-06).
Bennett coached at Poly Prep for five seasons as offensive coordinator and head of strength and speed training before joining Mater Dei Prep in New Jersey.