As the Vikings' Klint Kubiak and the Browns' Kevin Stefanski prepare to call plays against each other this week, the longtime friends do so with similarities that extend beyond the high-powered offenses on display Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
They both started their NFL coaching careers as entry-level Vikings employees, with Stefanski — now the Browns head coach — hired as Brad Childress' personal assistant in 2006. Seven years later, Stefanski sat in as Kubiak interviewed for a quality control job. Impressed by his acumen, Stefanski recommended Kubiak to then-coach Leslie Frazier, who hired him.
"Klint and I from the very beginning hit it off," Stefanski said this offseason.