Vikings fire Childress; Frazier is replacement

Associated Press

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.

Hastily hired five seasons ago to bring order to a disheveled franchise, Brad Childress vowed to lead the Minnesota Vikings the only way he knew how — in case this was his only crack at being a head coach.

After an eventful and often tumultuous run marred recently by player unrest, livid fans and a boss angry about abrupt personnel decisions and a 3-7 start this year, Childress is out.

His conservative approach to offensive strategy and rigid communication style are gone, too, leaving behind a talented team that’s out of the playoff race and a leadership vacuum in an organization trying hard to rebuild public good will toward a new stadium.

Childress was fired Monday, one season after he famously picked up Brett Favre at the airport, got a contract extension and came within a field goal of reaching the Super Bowl.

Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.