Leslie Frazier facts for kids
.jpg)
Frazier in 2021
|
|||||||||||||
| Seattle Seahawks | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Assistant head coach | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | April 3, 1959 Columbus, Mississippi, U.S. |
||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 189 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Lee (Columbus, Mississippi) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Alcorn State | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1981 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| As player: | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| As coach: | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Head coaching record | |||||||||||||
| Regular season: | 21–32–1 (.398) | ||||||||||||
| Postseason: | 0–1 (.000) | ||||||||||||
| Career: | 21–33–1 (.391) | ||||||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
| Coaching stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Leslie Antonio Frazier (born April 3, 1959) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently an assistant head coach for the Seattle Seahawks. He played professional football as a cornerback for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL). He helped the Bears win a Super Bowl in the 1985 season.
Frazier has also been a head coach for the Minnesota Vikings. He has worked as an assistant coach for many other NFL teams. These include the Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, and Philadelphia Eagles. Before joining the Seahawks, he was an assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills.
Contents
Leslie Frazier's Early Life and College Football
Leslie Frazier started his sports journey at Stephen D. Lee High School in Columbus, Mississippi. He was a talented athlete, earning nine high school letters. He played three different sports: baseball, football, and basketball.
Playing for Alcorn State University
Frazier played college football at Alcorn State University from 1978 to 1980. He played in the defensive backfield alongside Roynell Young.
In his first year, Frazier made six interceptions and 62 tackles. His second year was even better. He set a school record with nine interceptions. He also broke up 26 passes and recovered two fumbles. He made 44 tackles, helping his team finish with an 8–2 record.
Frazier's third season was cut short by a hamstring injury. However, he still managed five interceptions and 49 tackles. After this season, Frazier decided to skip his final year of college. He chose to enter the NFL draft instead.
Leslie Frazier's Professional Playing Career
Frazier was not chosen in the 1981 NFL draft. However, the Chicago Bears signed him just a few days later. In his first year, he mostly played on special teams. He returned six kickoffs for 78 yards.
In the 1982 season, which was shorter due to a player strike, Frazier became a starter. He intercepted two passes and recovered one fumble in six games. Over the next three seasons, he intercepted 18 more passes.
Winning Super Bowl XX
Frazier was a key part of the 1985 Chicago Bears team. This team won Super Bowl XX. During their championship season, Frazier led the team with six interceptions.
His playing career ended early due to a knee injury. He got hurt returning a punt in the second quarter of the Super Bowl. He had to be carried off the field. Doctors found serious damage to his knee. It was hoped he could return in 1986, but his knee never fully healed. The Bears released him in August 1987. Frazier was also part of the "G Crew" in the famous song "The Super Bowl Shuffle".
Leslie Frazier's Coaching Journey
Frazier began his coaching career in 1988. He became the first head coach at Trinity College in Illinois. This school is now known as Trinity International University. He coached there for nine seasons. He built the NAIA program from the beginning. He won two Northern Illinois Intercollegiate Conference titles. In 1997, he moved to the University of Illinois as their defensive backs coach.
Coaching in the NFL
In 1999, Frazier joined Andy Reid as the defensive backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. He worked with Brad Childress, who would later become the Vikings' head coach. The Eagles' defense got better each year Frazier was there.
In 2003, Frazier became the defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. He helped the team get more "takeaways" (interceptions and fumbles recovered). They went from 24 takeaways in 2003 to 36 in 2004. The Bengals' defense also improved its ranking in total yards allowed.
In 2005, Frazier joined the Indianapolis Colts. He worked under coach Tony Dungy as a defensive assistant. He helped the Colts' young defensive backs. The Colts' passing defense improved greatly during his time there. On February 4, 2007, the Colts won Super Bowl XLI. They beat Frazier's former team, the Chicago Bears.
Leading the Minnesota Vikings
On February 8, 2007, Frazier became the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. He worked under head coach Brad Childress. In November 2010, the Vikings fired Childress. Frazier was named the interim head coach for the rest of the 2010 season. He finished that season with a 3–3 record.
On January 3, 2011, Frazier became the Vikings' permanent head coach. His first full season in 2011 was tough, with the team going 3–13. This was their worst season since 1984. However, in 2012, the Vikings improved a lot. They finished 10–6 and made the playoffs. This was the biggest single-season improvement in Vikings history. Frazier finished fourth in voting for the National Football League Coach of the Year Award. The Vikings kept him under contract through 2014. On December 30, 2013, Frazier was fired after a 5–10–1 season.
Later Coaching Roles
Frazier was hired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their defensive coordinator on January 3, 2014. He stayed with them until January 2016.
On January 15, 2016, Frazier joined the Baltimore Ravens as their secondary coach.
On January 12, 2017, Frazier became the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills. He reunited with head coach Sean McDermott, whom he worked with on the Eagles. In Frazier's first year, the Bills made the playoffs for the first time since 1999. This ended the longest playoff drought in major North American sports. On March 4, 2020, Frazier was promoted to assistant head coach. In 2020, the Bills won their first AFC East title since 1995. They also reached their first AFC Championship Game since 1993.
On February 28, 2023, the Bills announced that Frazier would take a break from coaching in 2023. He planned to return to coaching in 2024.
Current Role with Seattle Seahawks
On February 2, 2024, Leslie Frazier was hired as the assistant head coach for the Seattle Seahawks.
Considered for Head Coaching Jobs
Since 2018, several NFL teams have considered Leslie Frazier for their head coach position. In 2018, he was interviewed by his former team, the Indianapolis Colts. In 2021, he was almost hired by the Houston Texans. In 2022, Frazier was interviewed by the New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, and the Chicago Bears. He was close to getting the Giants job. Frazier has not been a head coach since 2013, which was his last year with the Minnesota Vikings.
Leslie Frazier's Coaching Record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| MIN* | 2010 | 3 | 3 | 0 | .500 | 4th in NFC North | — | — | — | — |
| MIN | 2011 | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 4th in NFC North | — | — | — | — |
| MIN | 2012 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in NFC North | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Green Bay Packers in NFC Wild Card Game |
| MIN | 2013 | 5 | 10 | 1 | .344 | 4th in NFC North | — | — | — | — |
| Total | 21 | 32 | 1 | .398 | 0 | 1 | .000 | |||
* – Interim head coach
Personal Life
Leslie Frazier is a Christian. He is married to Gale Frazier. They have three children.
