Mike Zimmer (born June 5, 1956) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He previously was a defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, and Dallas Cowboys.
In high school, Zimmer was a successful multi-sport athlete who earned all-conference honors in football (1972–73), baseball, and wrestling at Lockport Township High School in Lockport, Illinois. He enrolled at Illinois State University, majoring in physical education. He played quarterback in 1974, but he redshirted the following year and moved to linebacker in 1976 after breaking his thumb. A neck injury prematurely ended his playing career that same year. His college team mates were positively influenced by his constantly "up" attitude, especially during those hot August pre-season double workouts. He backed up QB Bob Lopez in 1974, who later went on to set many of Illinois State's passing records. Bob Lopez is currently an associate athletic director for football at the University of Michigan.