Robb Akey Robb Alan Akey ( born July 24 , 1966 ) is an American football coach , currently the assistant defensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League . He joined the team for the 2014 season , his first in the professional ranks . Akey was a college football coach for 25 seasons , the last six as head coach for the Idaho Vandals of the Western Athletic Conference ( WAC ) . Akey became Idaho ' s fourth head coach in 37 months when he was hired on December 20 , 2006 , by athletic director Rob Spear . He led the Vandals to victory in their first bowl game in more than a decade , but after a 1 – 7 start in 2012 , Akey ' s contract was terminated on October 21 . He achieved a 20 – 50 ( ) record while head coach at Idaho . Early years . Akey grew up in Colorado Springs , and was a 1984 graduate of Wasson High School , where he was three - sport athlete . Akey played on the defensive line for head coach Mike Price at Weber State in Ogden , Utah , in the mid - 1980s , where he was an all - conference ( Big Sky ) selection at defensive end in his senior season . He also earned honorable mention honors on the All - American team ( Division I - AA ) , and was the Wildcats ' career sack leader . During his college career he also played at linebacker and on the offense at tight end . The Wildcats were 10 – 3 in his senior season of 1987 , advancing to the I - AA quarterfinals . Assistant coach . Akey was a college assistant coach for 19 seasons , the last eight at neighboring Washington State , eight miles ( 13 km ) to the west on the Palouse . He was hired as a defensive line coach under WSU head coach Mike Price following the 1998 season , and added the defensive coordinator duties in 2003 under new head Bill Doba , who was the defensive coordinator for Price . Before moving to Pullman for the 1999 season , Akey was an assistant coach for 11 seasons in the Big Sky Conference in Division I - AA . He was at Northern Arizona in Flagstaff for four seasons ( 1995 – 98 ) , after seven at his alma mater , Weber State ( 1988 – 94 ) . Break with ties . Akey was the first Idaho head coach since Jerry Davitch ( 1978 – 81 ) without previous ties to the Vandals , either as a former player or assistant coach . But Akey had familiarity with the program , as he lived eight miles from the Moscow campus for eight seasons , with Idaho as an opponent in each of those seasons . In addition , Akey either played or coached against the Vandals for a dozen seasons ( 1984 – 95 ) , while a player and assistant coach in the Big Sky . Akey succeeded Dennis Erickson , who left his second stint at Idaho after just ten months for Arizona State of the Pac - 10 . Erickson was preceded by Nick Holt , who voluntarily departed after only two seasons , compiling nine losses in each . Tom Cable was fired in late 2003 , after four disappointing seasons ( 11 – 35 , ) . Akey ' s tenure as Vandals head coach ended in 2012 on October 21 , when Idaho fired him following a 70 – 28 loss to Louisiana Tech , moving the team ' s overall record to 1 – 7 for the season . Contract . On February 22 , 2007 , the Idaho State Board of Education approved a five - year , $ 1 . 2 million contract for Akey , or $ 240 , 000 per year ; $ 155 , 000 in base salary and $ 85 , 000 for media / public appearances . This was the largest contract in Vandals ' history and included a $ 1 million buyout clause if Akey left before January 2 , 2009 . The buyout clause was pro - rated ; the figure dropped to $ 750 , 000 if he left before January 1 , 2010 , and $ 500 , 000 for the remainder of the five - year deal . The large buyout was the result of the departure former coach Dennis Erickson ; he left for Arizona State after one season in 2006 and faced only a nominal $ 150 , 000 buyout . Incentive bonuses included $ 5 , 000 for conference coach of the year ; $ 5 , 000 for academic achievement and team behavior ; 1 / 13th of annual salary ( $ 11 , 923 . 20 ) for a Top 25 ranking ; and 1 / 13th of annual salary for a conference championship or bowl game appearance . Following the 2009 winning season and bowl victory , Akey was awarded with a new five - year contract in June 2010 . It maintains a constant annual base salary of $ 165 , 796 . 80 with annual media payments beginning at $ 190 , 000 per year and increasing by $ 10 , 000 each year of the contract . There are seven performance - based contingencies in the salary agreement , which could boost his annual compensation to as much as $ 514 , 057 . 60 in 2011 to $ 544 , 057 . 60 in 2014 . The base salary is from state funds ; the remainder comes through private fund - raising efforts such as the " Coaching Excellence Fund . " Akey was relieved as head coach in October 2012 , but his contract runs through December 2014 , and the university owes him his base salary of $ 165 , 796 . 80 until then . The WSU game . When hired as the Vandals ' new head coach , Akey stated that he was opposed to holding the Battle of the Palouse rivalry game with Washington State every year . He said he preferred it as a " once - in - a - while thing , " to minimize possible " off - field " problems between rival programs only eight miles apart . The annual game was revived in 1998 and played for ten consecutive years ; it was last played in Akey ' s first season of 2007 and was renewed for a game in 2013 .