It’s been anticipated since last Friday, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made their contract agreement with former Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier official on Tuesday morning.
Frazier takes over as the Bucs new defensive coordinator, joining former Bears head coach Lovie Smith, who was recently hired as Tampa Bay’s new head man. Smith referred to Frazier as one of the best defensive minds in the NFL.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Leslie Frazier and I consider myself very fortunate to have him on my staff,” Smith said, via CBS Sports. “Leslie is one of the best defensive coaches in the NFL and he has a long track record of helping players reach their full potential. He transformed Minnesota’s defense into one of the league’s elite units during his time there and I look forward to working with him to do the same here in Tampa Bay.”
Frazier texted ESPN’s Josina Anderson last week saying he was joining the Buccaneers.
According to Yahoo! Sports, the Vikings led the NFL in sacks (297) and second-most forced fumbles (114) during Frazier’s seven-year career in Minnesota. The Vikings finished No. 1 against the run in 2007 and 2008. He spent 2008 to 2010 as the defensive coordinator and the final six games of the 2010 season through all of this season as the head coach.
Frazier’s record as head coach was 20-32-1.
