Former Vikings head coach stepping away from the NFL for 2023

Former Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier stepped down from his role as the Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator on Wednesday.

After finishing his sixth season as the defensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills, it was revealed on Tuesday that former Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier has decided to take a year off from coaching in the NFL.

The Bills stated on their team website that Frazier “plans to return” to coaching for the 2024 season, but the team did not clarify whether his return would be with Buffalo or not.

Bills general manager Brandon Beane said on Tuesday during his press conference at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine that Frazier made it clear to him that he’s not looking to retire, he just wanted to step away for a bit.

Former Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier steps away from Buffalo Bills for 2023 season

Frazier has been Buffalo‘s defensive coordinator since 2017, and during three of the last four years, his defenses have ranked inside the top six in the NFL in terms of points allowed.

Seven seasons of his coaching career in the NFL were spent with the Vikings. The 63-year-old coach began his tenure with Minnesota in 2007 as the team’s defensive coordinator. The Vikings wound up hiring Frazier to be their head coach in 2011 and he remained with the team until he was fired after the 2013 season.

No specific details about why Frazier has decided to step away from coaching for a year are known at this time. But as the Bills shared in their announcement, he plans to return to the sidelines in the NFL in 2024.