The Minnesota Vikings hired Kevin O’Connell over Jim Harbaugh.

The decision four winters ago will spice up the duo’s first-time head-coaching duel Thursday night in the Kroenke Dome.

In reality, it wasn’t a very spicy decision.

Harbaugh is a great head coach. But O’Connell was a better fit for the Vikings, despite O’Connell being new to head coaching.

The situation turned out well for both coaches, to say nothing of the Vikings, the Los Angeles Chargers and the University of Michigan.

Heading to Michigan, where Harbaugh remained after Vikings ownership and a newly hired general manager hired O’Connell — fresh off a Super Bowl wins with the Los Angeles as an assistant to Sean McVay — was the coach’s best recruiting class.

Two collegiate seasons later, those recruits, headed by quarter

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