Leslie Frazier to take year away from coaching

The former Vikings head coach is stepping away for 2023

Leslie Frazier hasn’t been the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings for a decade, but given the success he’s had since he left the Twin Cities, it’s still newsworthy when he brings us the sort of news that he did on Tuesday.

Frazier has said that he’s taking a year away from coaching, planning to return for the 2024 season. . .though it’s not known whether or not he’ll be returning to Buffalo or moving on to somewhere else.

Since leaving Minnesota, Frazier spent two years as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator and a year as the secondary coach for the Baltimore Ravens before settling in with the Buffalo Bills in 2017. He’s been their defensive coordinator since then, adding the title of assistant head coach to his business card in 2020.

Frazier became the head coach of the Vikings with six games remaining in the 2010 season following the Vikings firing of Brad Childress. After going 3-3 as the interim coach, he was hired to the position proper before the 2011 season. He compiled a record of 21-32-1 as the Vikings’ head coach, leading the team to the postseason one time.

There really hasn’t been any word as to what the genesis of Frazier stepping away for a year is, but if there are any personal or family issues going on, we hope that Coach Frazier and his family are able to work through and resolve them. Many around the team still speak highly of him and he’s still greatly respected around the league. Hopefully his absence will be a temporary one and he’ll be back on an NFL sideline in 2024.