After most recently serving as the Bills defensive coordinator, Leslie Frazier could end his coaching hiatus by joining an AFC East rival. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Dolphins are interviewing the veteran coach for their defensive coordinator vacancy.
Frazier’s six-year stint as the Bills defensive coordinator came to an end following the 2022 campaign, with head coach Sean McDermott opting to call the defensive plays himself for the 2023 season. Frazier ended up spending this past year out of football, but it didn’t take long for him to return to the coaching carousel. He interviewed for the Chargers and Raiders head coaching vacancies this offseason, and now he’s set to take a meeting for Miami’s coordinator opening.
Buffalo’s defense was up-and-down during Frazier’s time with the organization, but the Bills still finished with one of the league’s best defenses in three of the coach’s six years. This included a 2021 campaign where the Bills defense finished first in both points allowed and yards allowed. The team continued that production into 2022, finishing second in points allowed and sixth in yards allowed. However, following a divisional-round loss where the Bills allowed three scores to the Bengals, McDermott decided to make a change.
Prior to his stint in Buffalo, Frazier was also the defensive coordinator with the Bengals, Vikings, and Buccaneers. He parlayed his role in Minnesota into a head coaching gig, a job he held for three seasons. The Vikings went 10-6 and earned a playoff birth in 2012, but the team otherwise went 8-23-1 in his two full seasons as Minnesota’s head coach.
The Dolphins allowed Vic Fangio to leave for Philadelphia earlier this month, opening a major hole on their coaching staff. Frazier will be the fifth candidate to interview for the job, with the veteran coach joining:
- Bobby Babich, linebackers coach (Bills): Interview requested
- Anthony Campanile, inside linebackers coach (Dolphins): Interviewed
- Ryan Slowik, outside linebackers coach (Dolphins): Interview expected
- Brandon Staley, former head coach (Chargers): To interview
Oh Brandon Staley will fix things up in Miami
The irony of Dolphins fans trashing Buffalo’s defense the past few years before trying to hire their coaches.
But can he still do the Super Bowl shuffle? Inquiring minds wanna know.