Colts Request an Interview with Bills DC Leslie Frazier
By Andrew Ites
The Colts continue to build their list of candidates to fill the head coaching vacancy as they will reportedly bring in Leslie Frazier for an interview.
The Colts’ front office has already requested interviews with Frank Reich and Dan Campbell in the wake of Josh McDaniels’ decision to stay in New England. Ian Rapoport predicted Indianapolis would take a look at Leslie Frazier hours after the McDaniels situation went down, and they will be doing exactly that.
Frazier’s head coaching tenure with the Vikings contained a mixed bag of results.
He went 3-13 in his first full season taking over for Brad Childress, then Minnesota made the playoffs at 10-6 in his second season, then Frazier was fired after a 5-10-1 season in 2013.
Frazier shouldn’t take all the blame for his failure in Minnesota. His starting quarterbacks were Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel.
Source: The #Colts sent in a request to interview #Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier for their vacant head coaching position. Owner Jim Irsay is a big fan, Frazier might restore normalcy
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 8, 2018
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He joined the Buccaneers’ staff in 2014 as their defensive coordinator. After that, he was the secondary coach in Baltimore for one year before being hired by the Bills as their defensive coordinator in 2017.
Frazier and head coach Sean McDermott did a fantastic job this season with a Bills defense that didn’t look like it had much talent before the year began. According to Football Outsiders, Buffalo’s defense ranked 15th as they made an improbable run to the playoffs and nearly knocked off Jacksonville in the Wild Card round.
Frazier also has ties to the Colts’ organization as he was an assistant head coach and defensive backs coach in Indianapolis from 2005-06.
The first time I heard Leslie Frazier’s name connected with the Colts job, I was not excited. However, after looking back at his résumé I think he has the potential to do great work in Indianapolis.
Next: Top Five Candidates for the Colts Head Coaching Vacancy
Even if disaster strikes and Jacoby Brissett is the starter, he would be the best quarterback Frazier has had in his head coaching career. I would put Frazier on the same level as Frank Reich, but ahead of Dan Campbell in the Colts’ list of candidates.