HardcoreVikesFan wrote:At least the Wilfs learned not to reward a coach a contract because of a player's performance this time.
Anyway, I like Frazier more than I like Childress but I still am skeptical if he is the best guy for the long haul. This season will be very telling coming off a playoff berth.
Frasier seems committed to improving, he doesn't gloss over his mistakes which I like. He is not the emotional leader type coach, he is more the calm demeanor guy, much like his mentor, Tony Dungy. I don't have an issue with this, the team seems to be responding well to it. Fans shouldn't expect him to be what he isn't on that front.
As far as game day decision making and adjustments, I think he is improving. Not sure if I'd say he is a huge advantage, but he isn't a disadvantage like Chilli and Tice were.
I've got no issues with this move.
Winning is not a sometime thing it is an all of the time thing - Vince Lombardi
While I think it's a good move to pick up the option, its also hardly a ringing endorsement of Frazier by the Wilfs, which is somewhat surprising given their historical tendency to fall in love with a coach and hand out extensions. Its definitely the prudent move given Frazier's body of work to this point, and maybe an indication that the Wilfs are starting to look at things a little more objectively than they have in the past in regards to the head coach.
HardcoreVikesFan wrote:At least the Wilfs learned not to reward a coach a contract because of a player's performance this time.
Anyway, I like Frazier more than I like Childress but I still am skeptical if he is the best guy for the long haul. This season will be very telling coming off a playoff berth.
Same here, not that he can't learn and get better along the way. I do wonder if we're kind of stuck in limbo. We have talent, but by the time we restock our weak parts, the older parts will be gone or need replacing and we're still fighting to stay above .500 and get in the playoffs.
A successful coach needs a patient wife, loyal dog, and great quarterback - and not necessarily in that order.
saint33 wrote:
coaches very rarely play out their final year of their contracts. They are either extended or released before their "lameduck" year. This option is just a way of delaying that decision to extend or fire him because Frazier is no longer entering the final year of his contract.
That's not really an answer to "why". Why not make that same decision during or after the season, if the option is in the control of the Vikings?
I'm just wondering what happens now if this coming 2013 season completely goes down the tubes and Frazier looks like a fish on dry land in the process. Another 2010/Childress season that followed a single season with some success. I don't understand why a team would put itself in a position that makes it a more difficult decision to fire the coach if the need arises.
Eli wrote:
That's not really an answer to "why". Why not make that same decision during or after the season, if the option is in the control of the Vikings?
I'm just wondering what happens now if this coming 2013 season completely goes down the tubes and Frazier looks like a fish on dry land in the process. Another 2010/Childress season that followed a single season with some success. I don't understand why a team would put itself in a position that makes it a more difficult decision to fire the coach if the need arises.
They do it because there are perceived advantages to not asking a coach to preside over a "lame duck' season. The perception has long been that asking a coach to preside over a team in the final year of his contract can undermine his authority, that the uncertainty of that situation can be a distraction for players and coaches, that some players may not give their best effort for a coach in that situation, etc.
Whether any of that is true is debatable but I think the idea is that it's harder for a head coach to be at his most effective if he's a "lame duck".
I think Spielman likes Frazier and would prefer it works out that they eventually extend his contract because that would mean they're making things happen, but he's taking the smart approach by not getting caught up in the moment.
Circumstances can change very quickly in the NFL so if Minnesota were to completely fall off then at least they'll potentially have the ability to right the ship by adding a big name from that pool of coaches out there that are just chillin' waiting for their next opportunity.
Cowher, Gruden, Holmgren, Billick, to name a few. I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting.
Leslie Frazier chose his words carefully on Friday at the NFL scouting combine when asked about the Minnesota Vikings' decision to pick up an option for 2014 on his contract, rather than negotiating a multi-year extension after a playoff season.
But Frazier clearly was surprised by the decision and didn't dismiss the notion what appears to be a tepid show of support from the organization created a somewhat awkward situation.
"I moved past it," Frazier said. "It is what it is, and I've got to concentrate on getting our team ready for this season, and that's what's important."
From the end of the article:
Will Frazier approach this with a chip on his shoulder as a player might entering a contract season?
"I don't think for me it's ever changed," Frazier said. "My desire to win a championship overrides anything else. I'm not doing what I do for a contract. I'm not doing what I do for money. I want to be bring a championship to Minnesota, period. So, every decision I make, that's what it's based on.
"That's what I've tried to get across to our players every week, every training camp, every day. I talk to them about the now. I've said that to our management. Every decision we make is based on bringing a championship to Minnesota, and if it's for any other reason, we're doing a disservice to our fans, disservice to our players. So, it's got to be about what will help bring a championship to Minnesota."
I love Frazier's attitude and approach. I hope he really can bring a championship to Minnesota and if/when he does, I hope he's handsomely rewarded for it.
In essence, as we discussed last week, the Vikings have told Frazier that his performance has not met their standard for long-term security. By simply picking up a previously-unreported option, keeping Frazier under contract through 2014, the Vikings met the minimum level of professional decency and nothing more.
To no one's surprise, Frazier offered not a single disparaging word about the situation during a series of questions from local reporters here at the scouting combine. But it seemed clear that he had expected the Vikings to make an offer, and it was easy to read the disappointment in his body language. Frazier admirably pledged to accept the judgment, but it would be a perfectly human reaction to be hurt by it.
"What I believe and what actually is, that's what you have to deal with," Frazier said. "As you guys know, that's the reality. And that's what I want to deal with -- the reality of the situation. You guys are well aware of what my situation is. There was an announcement made. That's where things are. I'm excited to be the head coach of the Vikings. I like the job that I have, and I like the team that we have."
This is interesting:
So what happened here? First, we have to remember what we've discussed before: Frazier is working for a general manager who did not hire him. Rick Spielman was the Vikings' vice president of player personnel when owner Zygi Wilf elevated Frazier into the permanent job in January 2011, apparently without conducing another interview. A year later, Spielman was promoted to general manager and Wilf said "all football-related activities" would be his responsibility.
If Spielman had recommended a contract extension, I'm sure it would have happened. If Wilf ignored Spielman's advice, then I would be concerned for the future of this front-office structure. I'm going to assume that's not the case. Asked this week about Frazier, Spielman only said: "I know we're very excited and ownership is very excited with what Leslie has done with this football team."
Again, many of you might agree with a cautious approach. There is plenty of gray area here. But in the name of caution and efficiency, the Vikings have set up a very public judgment year for Frazier. His career as a head coach depends on similar or better success in 2013. If the Vikings slip, he will almost certainly be fired. That's a tough message to send in the weeks after a playoff season.
I think Siefert is stepping out on a limb there but who knows? It would probably depend on the circumstances of a "slip".
Eh. Might be asking a lot on a team that clearly overachieved this past season. I think an ultimatum like that isn't really justified, but I do like the winning mentality everyone seems to have in that organization.
Just like Spielman, Frazier can be counted on to say all the right things (although his grammar may be a bit more convoluted). You're not going to get any Denny Green quotes from him.
I don't really see why this should be considered a slap in the face. If he performs, he keeps his job. No different than any of us. Throughout his tenure with the Vikings, which started in 2007, Frazier has had varying degrees of success. I don't think it's too much to ask to see some consistency in performance, which he has the opportunity to provide by having another good season. I disagree with Siefert that it will be playoffs or a pink slip for Frazier next year, there are too many variables that can influence the Viking's ultimate success next year (injuries, etc.). He may need to put up another winning season but I don't think that's an unrealistic expectation.
Hartman: Wilfs say Frazier will be around awhile "The fact that the Wilf family, owners of the Vikings, didn't offer coach Leslie Frazier a contract extension this offseason doesn't mean that they don't have complete confidence in Frazier as a coach. They expect him to coach the Vikings for a long time."
Purple bruise wrote:Hartman: Wilfs say Frazier will be around awhile "The fact that the Wilf family, owners of the Vikings, didn't offer coach Leslie Frazier a contract extension this offseason doesn't mean that they don't have complete confidence in Frazier as a coach. They expect him to coach the Vikings for a long time."
Thanks for the link. My guess it it was a money-saving venture since they have a new stadium to build. By using the option, they get to pay Frazier for at least another year under the terms of his original deal rather than paying him more under a lucrative new deal. Of course, they might simply be being cautious too...
