Veteran coach Leslie Frazier‘s road back to a head coaching position continues this offseason. The former Vikings head coach has been requested to interview for the open head coach job in Dallas today, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.
A disciple of the Andy Reid-coaching tree, Frazier got his NFL start as a defensive backs coach for the Eagles in 1999. It didn’t take long for Frazier to get his first defensive coordinator gig in 2003 for the Bengals. Despite making major improvements to the unit over two seasons, Frazier was dismissed. After two years as an assistant to Tony Dungy in Indianapolis, Frazier was hired as defensive coordinator in Minnesota in 2007. He added the assistant head coach title in 2008 and eventually had to step up as interim head coach when the team fired Brad Childress.
Frazier became one of the few examples of interim head coaches getting the permanent job the following year. Though he struggled through his first season with the team, going 3-13, his second season saw a 10-6 record take the Vikings to the playoffs, the biggest single-season turnaround in franchise history. The success wouldn’t last long, though. A 5-10-1 season in 2013 led to Frazier’s dismissal.
Frazier spent the next two years as defensive coordinator for Tampa Bay, thought the team did not pick up his option for another year. He worked for a year as the Ravens defensive backs coach before getting hired as the Bills defensive coordinator in 2017. Frazier found a home in Buffalo, staying in one place for over five years for only the second time in his coaching career.
Eventually, though, in 2023, Frazier made the choice to step away from the team in order to pursue another head coaching gig. After sitting out the 2023 NFL season, Frazier participated in head coaching interviews for the Raiders and Chargers and a defensive coordinator interview for the Dolphins. After failing to land another position, Frazier took a position on rookie head coach Mike Macdonald‘s staff in Seattle as assistant head coach.
His pursuit for a second chance as a head coach will continue with this interview to replace Mike McCarthy in Dallas. He becomes just the fourth candidate mentioned for his position. Here’s the full list of candidates mentioned for the Cowboys:
- Bill Belichick, head coach (North Carolina): Mutual interest would have existed
- Leslie Frazier, assistant head coach (Seahawks): Interview requested
- Robert Saleh, former head coach (Jets): Interview expected
- Deion Sanders, head coach (Colorado): Discussions commenced; no deal expected