Former Vikings Head Coach Lands New Job with Seahawks
Josh Frey
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This offseason, the NFL coaching carousel has been a wild ride.
One of the coaches who has been in the mix for jobs is former Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier. Frazier has been in the mix for a couple different coaching positions, including multiple head coaching gigs. Unfortunately, Frazier was unable to land a new head coaching job as the final spots were filled this week with the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders filling their HC spots.
However, Frazier was able to land a new coaching role for next season. After taking the 2023 season off, the former Vikings head coach will be the assistant head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, working under new head coach Mike Macdonald.
Former Vikings Head Coach Lands New Job
The news was reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, who tweeted, “The #Seahawks are hiring Leslie Frazier as their assistant head coach, per sources. The onetime #Vikings head coach, Frazier has long been a mentor to Macdonald. Now he joins Macdonald’s staff in Seattle.”
Frazier has been a strong contender for the remaining openings. His resume at the NFL level speaks for itself. He began his coaching career all the way back in 1988 as the head coach of Trinity College at the NAIA level before jumping into the NFL during the 1999 season as the defensive backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Frazier helped spark five consecutive years of playoff football in Philadelphia from 2000-04 during which the defense was truly incredible. The defensive coach would leave the Eagles in 2003 to take over the defensive coordinator role with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Since then, Frazier has spent time with the Colts, Vikings, Buccaneers, Ravens, and most recently, the Buffalo Bills. Frazier coached the Vikings defense from 2007-2010 before taking on the head coaching role down the stretch of 2010 in an interim role. He then secured the full-time head coaching gig in 2011 and held it through the 2013 season.
Under Frazier’s tutelage, the Vikings defense had three consecutive years from 2008-2010 in which they ranked among the league’s top-10 units in terms of yards allowed. This included the 2009 run to the NFC Championship Game.
Now, Frazier heads to the Seahawks, who have a very talented core on the defensive side of the ball, particularly in the secondary. Led by CBs Devon Witherspoon and Tariq Woolen, Seattle certainly has the pieces in place to be a strong unit.
However, the group allowed the third-most total yards and eighth-most points during the 2023 season. With Frazier helping to lead the way, we’ll see if that can change in 2024. Seattle went 9-8 last season and narrowly missed out on a playoff berth.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.