The firing of Herm Edwards as coach of the Kansas City Chiefs has touched off yet another round of speculation as to the future of Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, who has already been seriously considered for, and missed out on, no fewer than two head coaching positions this offseason. A couple of our sister sites on the FSB network have already weighed in on the prospect of Frazier succeeding the much-maligned Edwards. Arrowhead Addict seems to favor Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley, but they didn’t dismiss the idea of Frazier coming aboard instead:
"I also like Leslie Frazier of the Vikings. Frazier is an outstanding coach who coached under Andy Reid, Marvin Lewis and Tony Dungy before landing his current gig. He was with Dungy when the Colts won it all, and was the man behind the improved play of that secondary. Most importantly, I like what I’ve heard about his interview in Detroit."
Like Detroit, the Chiefs basically need to rebuild their entire defense, and Frazier would seem qualified to get that done, provided he is given talent to work with (like he has been in Minnesota). NFL News & Rumors, the newest addition to the FSB family, thinks Frazier’s youth and energy would serve him well in tackling this monumental project:
"Frazier is on the cusp of taking his career to a new level, and given his resume it’s no wonder. He’s yet another defensive coordinator from Minnesota that has proven that he has the ability to become an outstanding head coach, with Tony Dungy (retired) and Mike Tomlin (Steelers) being the two others. Frazier is a minority candidate, so he would take care of the Rooney rule, where teams have to interview at least one minority before they can hire a head coach. He’s also young enough to have the energy it’s going to take to finish the rebuilding project in KC, and he can relate with the team’s young players as well."
Frazier has certainly done a good job of relating to the Vikings’ players, who seem to appreciate his laid-back, Dungy-esque style. I guess it all depends on what the Chiefs are looking for in a head coach: a feisty sort like Todd Haley, who’s recently become well-known for sideline shouting matches with his players, or a quieter, more composed fellow like Frazier.