After spending the past six years as the Bills defensive coordinator, Leslie Frazier announced that he’d be stepping away from coaching for the 2023 campaign. While the long-time coach indicated that he’d consider returning in 2024, it’s starting to sound like he’ll only be pursuing head coaching opportunities during the next hiring cycle. While attending the league’s coaching “accelerator program,” Frazier told Albert Breer of SI.com that he’ll consider HC jobs next offseason.
[RELATED: Bills DC Leslie Frazier To Step Away]
“I really feel good about where I am,” Frazier told says. “I think my reasons for stepping away were the right reasons; I feel good about it. It just gives me a chance to see things from a different perspective, get recharged again and reenergized.
“And, hopefully, an owner will give me a chance to talk to him about an opportunity. If that doesn’t happen, I’m good. I’ve had a good career. I’m good. My goal is to be a head coach. I know I don’t have much time left, I’m at an age where it seems like owners are going younger and younger, but I think I have some things I can bring to the table. We’ll see what happens.”
Frazier also told Breer that he’ll spend some of his free time attending OTAs and training camps around the league. The coach also intends to keep close tabs on the 2023 campaign in an effort to “look at what’s happening around the league, make sure I stay up on any new trends.”
The coach’s defenses in Buffalo generally ranked top-10 in yards and points allowed, putting him firmly back on the head coaching radar. In recent years, the 64-year-old has been connected to HC jobs with the Colts, Texans, Giants, Dolphins, and Bears. Those latter three opportunists all came last offseason, and Frazier was a finalist for the Giants job before it was ultimately offered to fellow Bills coach Brian Daboll.
Frazier’s only head coaching opportunity came with the Vikings, when he guided the team to a 3-3 record after taking over for Brad Childress in 2010. Following a 2011 campaign that saw the Vikings go 3-13, the coach helped led the team to the playoffs in 2012. Frazier was fired as Minnesota’s head coach following a 5-10-1 campaign in 2013.
He was a horrible HC in Minnesota
You were. You failed. Nothing wrong with being a great coordinator.
Stepping away from the game for a year is not the way to get a head coaching job. He needs to stay fresh and pertinent.
I’m gonna guess it doesn’t happen, a bit hard to see a team making him the third oldest HC in the league with his underwhelming past results as a HC. Is he ready to coach into his 70’s like Carrol and Belichick? If he’s done coaching and ready to retire if he doesn’t get a HC job, is he really that type of guy?
lol, those are hot takes.
Consider how poorly the Vikings roster was managed by GM Rick Spielman when they were saving cash to build their stadium. Frazier was given a soon to retire McNabb at QB in his first season & a young Christian Ponder as understudy in 2011. He coxed a credible sophomore year out of Ponder and let AP break records during their playoff year in 2012, but lost Ponder for the playoffs, having to use Joe Webb in the loss at GB.
That next offseason (in what would be the final year of the Metrodome), the FO made its intentions clear. They only extended Frazier’s contract one year making it a lame duck year. The GM then cut PB CB Antoine Winfield to save cash, traded away Harvin (who signed a record contract then got hur) and replaced them with rookies. That season they lost Ponder, AP, Harrison Smith, and others to injury in 2013 and couldn’t stop the pass nor score. Nobody could have coached that team to a winning record.
In 2014 they went with HC Zimmer, who was good but was given a ton more talent and subsequent spending once the new stadium opened, plus the young rookies Frazier had his last season eventually matured into quality starters for their winning 2016 & 2017 seasons.
IMO, Frazier was actually a very good HC that has gotten a raw deal ever since. He’s proven to be among the best Coordinatiors in the game, certainly deserving of another shot. His D background hurts his chances in an era where young QBs are paired with young O-Coords. Only a few teams have gone with D-oriented HCs since with limited success (DEN, MIA, HOU) but he was considered in CHI who bucked that trend with Eberflus. A lot of Bears fans (obviously) wanted Frazier instead…time will tell.
Perhaps stepping away and getting some TV time on the networks might boost his chance to get another HC opportunity, which I think he certainly deserves.
I don’t know whether Frazier will be a good or bad HC in his second act, and I will not play the”deserve” game to evaluate a results based position, but I will say Frazier has certainly earned the chance. His age really works against him here. Aside from defensive coaches not being quite as in vogue as in the past, most teams want younger coaches that they can sell as fresh. Of course, all one really has to do in the age of offense is to acquire a stud quarterback to make your staff look good, but that’s slightly tongue in cheek.
Certain coaches-Leslie Frazier, Mike Pettine, and Jim Caldwell-felt like they could benefitted from a second act. Others, like Dennis Allen, make the case that the second act might be more of the first. You never know what may happen, but in an age of fewer practices and more restrictive rules, the roster seems to be more and more important than ever before. Coaches like Frazier, who are so specialized on one side of the ball, may find it easier to be more like managers than strategists and hook on with teams that provide them with the best roster possible. Usually, though, those teams don’t have openings available.
Great back story, thanks. Frazier better find a young offensive co-ordinator to pair himself with. He’d be a lot more attractive in a well-rounded package.
Agreed with that.
Well said rotofool.
With the name Frazier, a better career path might be opening a boxing gym for ex-NFLers like Le’Veon Bell and Adrian Peterson.
He was bad as a head coach. He was horrible in the last arc champ game with his late game defensive calls. I see no reason he should be a head coach.
No team will ever forget the 13 second fiasco vs KC…