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Adam Zimmer, former Vikings defensive coordinator and son of Mike Zimmer, dies at 38

liz roscher
Staff writer
·4-min read

Adam Zimmer, offensive analyst for the Cincinnati Bengals and son of former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, died Monday night at age 38. No cause of death has been given.

His sister, Corri Zimmer White, shared the news in a devastating Instagram post on Tuesday morning.

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A post shared by Corri Zimmer White (@lilzimc)

Jan 19, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; West head coach Adam Zimmer of the Minnesota Vikings being interviewed after the game against the East at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
Adam Zimmer, an NFL coach since 2006 and son of former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, has died at age 38. (Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports)

In her post, Corri called Adam the "kindest, sweetest, family-loving, sports-obsessed soul there ever was," who loved watching her be a mom to her one-year-old twin boys.

The Bengals also released a statement about Zimmer's death.

Zimmer was 10 when he decided he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become a coach, which is when the elder Zimmer became the defensive backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys. He goofed around, because that's what kids do — Zimmer told twincities.com that he once got yelled at by his dad for getting a Cowboys golf cart stuck in a sand volleyball court — but he was serious about football.

After attending Trinity University and playing on their football team as a safety, Zimmer got his first coaching job with the New Orleans Saints, who hired him as their assistant linebackers coach in 2006. He moved on to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010, but not before winning Super Bowl XLIV with the Saints.

Zimmer did the same job with the Chiefs until he and the rest of the staff were fired following the 2012 season, but then he picked up with the Bengals, which is how he started working with his father. Mike was Cincy's defensive coordinator in 2013, and Adam was the assistant defensive backs coach. When Mike was named head coach of the Vikings in 2014, Adam came along and became the linebackers coach. In 2020 he was named co-defensive coordinator along with defensive line coach Andre Patterson.

When Mike was fired from his job with the Vikings following the 2021 season, Adam was let go along with him. Adam then returned to the Bengals as an offensive analyst.

On social media, other teams Zimmer had worked for, as well as some of his former colleagues and friends, shared their condolences.