As the Horns Turn: Enter Leslie Frazier, Head Coach

But frankly, the ONLY thing that would make me think that Frazier should be the permanent HC of the Vikings is if they go to the Super Bowl, THIS YEAR, and bring back the Lombardi. Nothing less. Winning every remaining game, and getting to the NFC CG, wouldn’t be enough.

Why? Because we’ve been there, done that.

The last two coaches were new to being Head Coach, and really really really, it’s not the same thing as being a Defensive Coordinator, or an Offensive Line coach, or even an Offensive Coordinator. I’m as big a believer in OJT as the next guy, but let’s not do that this time around.

This time around, let’s bring in a proven Head Coach. My preference would be Tony Dungy and I hope like hell that Zygi is already in talks with the man, but who knows what the money-man has in mind. No more newbie Head Coaches, no more ‘winging it’, no more ‘rompin stompin dynamite’. Give me someone solid, someone who inspires confidence to a team that’s literally falling apart in every phase of the game except the booters.

With all due respect to Coach Frazier…. I think that the Minnesota Vikings, and the fans, deserve a proven contender this time, not a roll of the dice.

If Frazier can coach this team to 3 or more wins in the remaining 6 games, then I think that he will have a great chance at keeping the HC position for at least another year.

This Yahoo article outlines a few of the changes that he will make such as simplifying the offense and letting Favre call plays on the field.

Really, Favre is the one ingredient who has played much worse than last year, so letting him figure out things rather than a clueless coordinator dictating to him could make a huge difference.

As for Dungy, let’s not forget that Joe Biden sat in a chair on Meet the Press and said that he really would not be interested in serving as vice president if Obama offered it to him. Sometimes it’s not good to tip one’s hand. Tony Dungy is absolutely thinking about this potential job opportunity, even if he is less than a hundred percent about it.

how I even feel about the idea. Just today, sitting around eating turkey and talking with the brother and the old man I flip flopped. I originally seconded the thoughts of my pundits, that with the uncertain labor agreement there’s no way Wilf goes out and pays Parcells 60 million to come in and hire a staff and build this thing. Simply put, Frazier knows the team and can be paid like a first year coach.

But look at how the Ziggster throws money around….say what you want about the Vikings front office structure and it’s Triangle of Authority nonsense under Childress, but Ownership has proven again and again it will spend and spend big, to bring in talent. From the big trade that brought Allen, to the entire Favre saga, to Berrians ridiculously large contract, AllDay’s future monster paycheck…Zygi opens the wallet.

So I voted that no, I don’t think Frazier will be the coach…because I think Zygi Wilf actually wants to put a winning product on the field and will go to any….any lengths to achieve it. He strikes me as a competitive guy. He also wants a stadium. And it would be a huge jolt to the fanbase if he blew it up, and started with a bigtime General Manager to oversee all football operations, and a splashy head coach that will demand a large contract.

I hate the thought of the next Dungy, or Tomlin leaving again…..and Frazier’s press conferences have been a breath of fresh air after Chilly’s monotone factoids. I think he is going to be a good head coach in this league. I just don’t think the situation will ease the outcry for a Cowher, Gruden type to coach this team. The fans want a big name coach. Everyday followers of the team might see the logic in hiring Frazier for the long term. But these Vikings love to create drama and keep themselves firmly planted in the spotlight. It’s both a blessing and a curse to the fan.

i dont know if frazer would be the best guy for the perm head coach position…….but the options out there that wouldnt blow up the team to get players that play their scheme are very few……as in one……..and i dont know how interested gruden would be in coaching again. parcells and cowher would want a team overhaul and dungy already said he doesnt want the job (or any other coaching job for that matter).

aside from that who else is even available, big name wise? schottenheimer? jeff fisher? (if things really go sour in tennessee) marriucci? (would he even want to stop being an analyst?)

Dungy isn’t and never was even going to interview! Get over it!

Now, you same people calling for Dungy may want to listen to him. I am a religious man and by no means perfect. What it does bring is my deep regard for those religious people who follow their values and live them with dignity. Nor flamboyantly
Dungy is one of these men. If you have read and heard him speak you will find a man, who is not perfest and had struggles. Living the life of a coach, being a strong family oriented men and yet dealing with the death of a loved son, he stood strong and kept his faith in tradgedy. He also had a faith in the way he was going to coach. Totally different from the norm of how I started coaching. Til I heard Dungy’s philosophies on how to guide a team and work with people thru books and video seminars. One person actively involved, one Leslie Frazier!
This approach, tho based on his values, became more than that -a different way to approach coaching and motivating leaders to change the way they do things. Success? Look at his football resume, the popularity of his books and seminars, the way people see a guy who really has something beyond football.
Why the dialogue on this subject? Dungy has touched many lives in and out of football. In his ventures he was the one called on to counsel Michael Vick. So far I see a lot of promise in Vicks way of dealing with his troubles and changing his life, which I really didn’t expect.

He has inspired many young pro coaches to reevaluate the way they think about being a coach. An approach that is one of quiet discipline and showing respect for the players under him. His biggesr followers. Raheem Morris, the same guy that rallyed a sinking/young Bucs team and did.n’t critisize his team in public but, gave his players a leader who stood up in the face of laughter saying he thought he had the best team in the NFC. True or not, it would sure make me feel like this is the type of coach who has faith in me and I’m not going to let him down. Another follower of this new trend in successful coahing, our own NEW LEADER – Coach Frazier! Yah! That gives me hope.
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People n DN calling for Frazier to be coach. Others saying he is soft. Not a take charge guy. Too soft spoken but, they want Dungy. Same guy who on the 1st day with his players addresses the team and states his expectations with quiet authority. Then says :“This is the loadest you will ever hear me speak,” The rules were set, expected and enforced.

Who did Dungy give 100 % support for? One, Leslie Frazier! A man who personally worked with Dungy in leadership groups and learned how and why the man did things the wayhe did. Why don’t you see Lwslie dancing the sideline ranting and raving? Cause he learned from the man directly who changed the stereotypical face of coachong -Dungy!

The Defense this year? One year of his leadership after buolding them into a force is still treated on these principles and no one player pointed a finger saying our defensive schemes were weak unlike offensive players who came out with some vad comments. ( and I can bet that Ray Edwards had a sit down with Leslie regarding his display to young defenders) Warrented or not, it was not Edwaeds place to disrupt the sideline, You will not hear avout it cause that is how Dungy would so nor would Leslie.This D knowa rhey failed themselves. They let the frustration of an offense that was playing 2nd half football and relying on them to hold the score down while being on the field way to long. They became tired and frustrated yet kept us alive in many games where the offense wasn’t prodiucing.Favre himself has stated that the play calling did not revolve arounf plays they had extensive rep work in or plays that statisticly showed consistant success. That is film evaluation that rested on the head coach who continued to run plays that got stuffed. The Favre approach and one I think Bevell and Frazier will use is to use those plays that have a high ratio of success tossed in with some extra things that will be worked on to the point the players know how ro run the play. The tweek was that so many play books have thick chapters but there is no way you can practice them all in depth. It seemed that from what I am hearing is that too many plays were called that had not been practiced enough to have a high hope of success. Favre said we had many plays that worked rime and rime again. We should have kept hitting the opponent with them. Makes perfect sense.

These are the things Leslie Frazier brings and I hope fixes. I believe he can and will.
A 6-0 miracle finish? I don’t know but if an over rated Dallas team can win 2 big ones and then almost shock the Saints with a coach that instills confidence – who knows? Maybe there is a miracle in Minnesota waiting.
This was meant to be a fan post but tried it out here 1st.

Leslie has six games to right the ship and bring the Vikings back to respectability. The odds are long but give the man the benefit of the doubt. We’ll know soon enough if he’s truly the coach of the future for this team.