Leslie Frazier stepped away from football before the 2023 season with plans to return, and now he has.
The Seattle Seahawks are hiring Frazier, formerly the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, as the team’s assistant head coach, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Friday.
The 64-year-old Frazier has a wealth of experience, with 25 years of NFL coaching experience, making him a perfect hire to help his longtime mentee, Mike Macdonald, take the head-coaching reins for the first time.
Frazier served as a head coach for the Vikings from 2010-2013, going 3-3 in his first year in an interim role before taking the job full-time the following season. He finished his tenure in Minnesota with a 21-32-1 record and one trip to the playoffs.
He was the Vikings’ DC since 2007 before that, his second time coordinating after a stint with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003-2004.
Frazier was also defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2014-2015, and most recently held the position in Buffalo for six seasons before taking the year off.
His time with the Bills was by far his most successful, as the defense ranked first in both points and yards allowed in 2021 and was the NFL’s second-best scoring defense during his final campaign.
It was unclear when Frazier stepped away in February 2023 if he would eventually return with the Bills. Fast forward to February 2024, and Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott, who served as defensive play-caller in Frazier’s stead last season, has promoted linebackers coach Bobby Babich to DC.
Meanwhile, Frazier is traveling west to join Macdonald, where the 36-year-old head coach will be helming the Seahawks and their defense.
The longtime coach’s link to Macdonald stems from his lone year as a secondary coach for the 2016 Baltimore Ravens. Macdonald worked under him there as a defensive assistant, just two years removed from being a coaching intern.
Frazier went on to Buffalo while Macdonald continued to work up the food chain in Baltimore, but he remained a mentor to his former defensive assistant.
Now they’re partnering back up in Seattle looking to get the Seahawks back on top.
