Speculation begins as to who will replace him next season.
The Minnesota Vikings have announced that coach Leslie Frazier will not return next season after their disappointing year ended on Sunday.
The Vikings finished last in the NFC North in two of the three seasons under Frazier, who replaced Brad Childress as the team’s head coach with six games to go in the 2010 season.
The 54-year-old posted a 21-32-1 record in his three and a half years with the franchise, but after reaching the playoffs in 2012, the Vikings lost seven of their first eight games this season en route to a 5-10-1 finish.
With the Green Bay Packers advancing from the division to make the playoffs, both the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions finished comfortably ahead, leaving Minnesota to consider their options moving forward.
“We have tremendous respect and appreciation for Leslie and what he has done for the Minnesota Vikings,” team owner Zygi Wilf said in a statement announcing the firing.
“He stepped in and established a strong positive culture here and he has been the consummate professional as our head coach and in this community. Making this change is difficult, but what we determined is best for the organization.”
Vikings general manager Rick Spielman also paid tribute to the former coach, but insisted that they needed to achieve consistent success to continue to progress in the manner in which they desired.
Having faltered this year, they believed the best decision was to make a change at coaching level, and it remains to be seen who will replace Frazier and whether or not they can improve on this season’s disappointing showing.
Frazier’s last game in charge was Sunday’s 14-13 win over the Detroit Lions at Mall of America Field, with Cordarrelle Patterson scoring two touchdowns in the last game at the Metrodome before it is demolished.
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