EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Leslie Frazier, who coordinated the NFL's top-ranked defense in 2021 and whose 23-year NFL coaching career includes a stint as a head coach, this morning became the second candidate to interview for the Giants' head coaching position.
Frazier, 62, spoke via video conferencing with team president John Mara, chairman Steve Tisch and Joe Schoen, who was hired yesterday as the Giants’ new general manager.
Schoen and Frazier joined the Buffalo Bills in 2017 and spent the last five seasons working together, the former as the team's assistant general manager and the latter as defensive coordinator (and assistant head coach since 2020).
The Giants yesterday interviewed Brian Daboll, who has been Buffalo's offensive coordinator since 2018.
Frazier earned a Super Bowl ring as both a player and an assistant coach.
This season, Frazier's defense was a driving force as the Bills finished 11-6 and won their second consecutive AFC East title. Buffalo defeated New England in a wild card game last week and will visit the defending conference champion Kansas City Chiefs in a divisional playoff game tomorrow.
The Bills' defense finished first in the NFL in several statistical categories. The unit allowed the fewest points-per-game (17.0), fewest total yards (272.8) and passing yards (163.0) a game, fewest yards-per-play (4.6) and first downs a game (16.8) and the lowest opposing third-down conversion percentage (30.8 on 66 successes in 214 attempts). Buffalo also tied for third with 30 takeaways and has finished in the top 10 in that category in each of Frazier's five seasons as coordinator.
The defense compiled those numbers without a single player getting elected to the Pro Bowl.
Frazier was the Minnesota Vikings' interim head coach for the final six games of the 1999 season. After he led the team to three victories in six games, the interim tag was removed. In his second full season in 2012, running back Adrian Peterson was the NFL's most valuable player and the Vikings earned a playoff berth with a 10-6 record but lost a wild card game to division rival Green Bay. Frazier's last season with the Vikings was 2013 when they finished 5-10-1.
He spent two seasons as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive coordinator and one as the Baltimore Ravens' secondary coach before joining the Bills.
Frazier began his career as the head coach at Trinity University – now known as Trinity International University – in Illinois from 1988-96. He was the defensive backs coach at Illinois from 1997-98.
In 1999, Frazier got his first NFL job when the Philadelphia Eagles hired him to be their defensive backs coach. He stayed four years before joining the Cincinnati Bengals as their defensive coordinator in 2003. Frazier was a defensive assistant with the Indianapolis Colts in 2005 and defensive backs and assistant head coach when they won Super Bowl XLI the following season. He joined the Vikings as defensive coordinator in 2007 and added the title of assistant head coach the following year, roles he kept until becoming interim head coach.
Frazier's five-year NFL playing career began in 1981, when he signed with the Chicago Bears as a free agent from Alcorn State. A defensive back, he became a standout player on one of the NFL's finest defenses. He led Chicago in interceptions in three consecutive seasons. When the Bears were 15-1 and won Super Bowl XX in 1985, Frazier had a team-high six picks as the Bears recorded 61 takeaways and held opponents to 12.4 points per game. But he tore his ACL during a trick punt return in the Super Bowl rout of New England and never played again.
Frazier finished his career with 20 interceptions for 343 return yards and two touchdowns.
Frazier and his wife, Gale have three children: Kieron, Chantel and Corey.
