Leslie Frazier

NFL PlayerCoach


Color=indigo
fontcolor=gold
DateOfBirth=birth date and age|1959|4|3
Birthplace=Columbus, Mississippi
College=Alcorn State
Position=Defensive Coordinator
Member of the 1985 Chicago Bears season
DatabaseFootball=FRAZILES01
ProBowls=
HOF=
CollegeHOF=
player=yes
years=1981-1985
teams=Chicago Bears
coach=yes
coachingyears=1988-1996

1997-1998

1999-2002

2003-2004

2005-2006

2007-"present"
coachingteams=Trinity College
Head Coach
University of Illinois
Defensive Backs
Philadelphia Eagles
Defensive Backs
Cincinnati Bengals
Defensive Coordinator
Indianapolis Colts
Defensive Backs
Minnesota Vikings
Defensive Coordinator

Leslie Antonio Frazier (born April 3, 1959 in Columbus, Mississippi) was a cornerback/safety in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears. He is currently the Defensive Coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.

College career

He played college football at Alcorn State University.

Pro career

Frazier was a part of the 1985 Chicago Bears team that went to go on and win Super Bowl XX. During the 1985 championship season, Frazier led the team with 6 interceptions. His career was cut short due to a knee injury he suffered returning a punt late in the first half of that Super Bowl.

Coaching career

Frazier started his coaching career in 1988 as the 1st head coach at Trinity College in Illinois, now known as Trinity International University. He held the position for 9 seasons and built the NAIA program from the ground up and won a pair of Northern Illinois Intercollegiate Conference titles before he moved on to the University of Illinois in 1997 and '98 as the Illini DBs coach.

In 1999 Frazier joined first time Head Coach Andy Reid as Defensive Backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. It was there that Frazier worked as a fellow assistant with the Vikings current Head Coach, Brad Childress. The Eagles defense improved steadily in the four years that Frazier was there.

He was defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2003-2004 where he helped turn the unit into a group that increased takeaways from 24 in 2003 to 36 in 2004. The Bengals' 36 takeaways in '04 ranked 3rd in the NFL. The 2004 Bengals notched 20 interceptions, the most since 1996. The Bengals Defense improved from #28 in total yards allowed in 2003 to #19 in 2004, and declined in the two years following his dismissal.

In 2005, Frazier was hired by Tony Dungy as a defensive assistant for the Indianapolis Colts, receiving the title of Special Assistant to the Head Coach as well as Defensive Backs Coach. He was specifically brought in by Dungy to help the Colts young corps of Defensive Backs. During his time in Indy the Colts passing defense improved from 15th in 2005 to 2nd in 2006. On February 4, 2007 the Colts beat Frazier's former team, the Chicago Bears, in Super Bowl XLI. Four days later, on February 8, 2007, he became the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings following the hiring of Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin by the Pittsburgh Steelers as their head coach.

The Vikings gave Frazier a one year contract extension through the 2009 season and will remain as the defesnive coordinator.

ource

[http://www.vikings.com/coach_detail_objectname_leslie%20frazier.html Leslie Frazier Biography]