# Vikes have a new coach?



## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Vikings will name coach: Brad Childress
Judd Zulgad and Sid Hartman, Star Tribune

The Vikings will name Philadelphia offensive coordinator Brad Childress to be their next head coach on Friday, according to two persons with knowledge of the coaching search.
Childress, 49, interviewed with the Vikings on Tuesday and was scheduled to talk to the Green Bay Packers on Wednesday; that meeting never took place.

Childress' agent, Bob LaMonte, and Vikings executives were in contract talks late this afternoon. Childress and LaMonte did not return calls today.

The Vikings, who originally had Washington assistant head coach-defense Gregg Williams at the top of their list, turned their attention to Childress after Williams signed a three-year, $8 million contract to remain with the Redskins on Tuesday.

The Vikings also interviewed defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell, Kansas City assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Al Saunders, and Indianapolis assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell for the position.

Mike Tice was fired as the Vikings head coach after Sunday's regular-season finale against Chicago. Minnesota finished the season with a 9-7 record and missed the playoffs.

Childress has been an assistant coach with the Eagles since 1999. He joined the Philadelphia organization as Andy Reid's quarterbacks coach in 1999 and became offensive coordinator in 2002. Reid, not Childress, has handled the play calling.

Before joining the Eagles, Childress was an assistant under Barry Alvarez at the University of Wisconsin.

Packers quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell, who played under Childress at Wisconsin, is expected to be on Childress' staff.

Childress was born June 27, 1956 in Aurora, Ill. He attended Marmion Military High School and Eastern Illinois University.

His college coaching career included stops at Illinois 1978-84 (running backs, wide receivers); Northern Arizona, 1986-89 (offensive coordinator); Utah 1990 (wide receivers); and Wisconsin, 1991 (running backs, offensive coordinator).

He was quarterbacks coach for the Indianapolis Colts in 1985.

While coaching at Northern Arizona, he worked with three future NFL coaches: Reid, Bill Callahan (Raiders) and Marty Mornhinweg (Lions). Callahan is now coaching Nebraska, and Mornhinweg is an Eagles assistant.


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## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

Sounds like a done deal. Just before his trip to Green Bay too. :lol: Way to go Ziggy!
:beer:


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## DeltaBoy (Mar 4, 2004)

I hope they re-build the team for next year...


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

Man I hoped they would have looked at Kubiach from Denver. I have some reservations about Childress. Andy Reid controlled everything in Philly and Barry did the same thing at WI. If this is a done deal I hope he has enough sense to keep our current Defensive Cord. It has been a long time since we saw a defense that could win a game or come up with a must stop.

At least it wasn't Hasselt or some of the other retreads!


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## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

Andy Reid never called plays before his head coaching job though either. Some of the media reported that Childress getting a head coaching job was over due 2 years ago. Time can only tell but I think they could have done much worse.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

I was somewhat elated when I read the paper tonight. Childress is in no way responsible for the demise of Philly this year. Owens divided the team and they just gave up when big Mac went down.

There was another article that was about Brad wanting the starting QB job. IMO he has a few more years left and though there are many folks in their 80's that could out run him to the sidelines he does have a good head on his shoulders and it seemed like the O-line responded for him a little better that they did for pepper.

Vikes will need a future QB because i have a gut feeling that peppers days are numbered in MN.

Bob


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

I don't understand what is so special about Childress??? His numbers of his offense that he put together are not staggering. Makes you wonder why guys get the reps thay have. Maybe everyone thins he is a football genius?? :huh: I guess that time will tell. I still am not so sure about d-coordinator.......Maybe just hire a new one that is more aggressive. He had to be talked into what was accomplished this year by being called out in public by Winfield. Maybe it is time for Foge Fazio to just take back over!!!!  They still have money to spend under the salary cap.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

This guy is a west coast offense guy.

What will be interesting is if he forces Culpepper to do this or changes to accomodate Culpeppers "down the field" style.Brad Johnson is a west coast guy.....dump the short pass and run with it....


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## oklahomawatrfwlr (Jan 31, 2005)

Why is everyone thinking pep is bad all of a sudden? He still looked like a pro bowl qb without moss this year. He had one bad year.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

IMO 
Pepper needs to get his head back in the game. His decisions on his feet in the heat of the game often showed his weakness. Once you show that the other team will do everyting they can to exploit that weakness.

for some reason the O-Line jelled a little better with Brad as QB. why? I really don't know but I suspect leadership ability has something to do with it.

He has a lot of natural talent maybe with some coaching he can get back to and surpass where he once was. Time will tell idf he is afforded the opportunity. Zig doesn't seem to be the kind of guy that is goiing to pay the big bucks for sub-par performance though.

Bob


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## DeltaBoy (Mar 4, 2004)

oklahomawatrfwlr said:


> Why is everyone thinking pep is bad all of a sudden? He still looked like a pro bowl qb without moss this year. He had one bad year.


IMO he had one bad year and it's going to happen again next year if he touches the ball. It's the NFL = Not For Long! DC should perform not only during the pre-season but also during the reg. season. The O-line needs a big wake-up call too. I was expecting the line to be much better this year and they really sucked!

As a Vikings fan it's going to be interesting next year. I just wish they could be a solid team. I hate wondering if they have a chance for anything...

Good times!


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## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

> IMO he had one bad year and it's going to happen again next year if he touches the ball.


 :rollin: 
Pepper even screwed us out of the Vince Young/high draft pick chance. All he had to do was stay healthy and we go 2-14. Daunte either holds the ball forever (O-line abuse) or when you need the guy to hang onto the ball he loses it. I think he'll play like a rookie until he retires and pending his recovery, may not be far off.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Bob Kellam said:


> IMO
> Pepper needs to get his head back in the game. His decisions on his feet in the heat of the game often showed his weakness. Once you show that the other team will do everyting they can to exploit that weakness.
> 
> for some reason the O-Line jelled a little better with Brad as QB. why? I really don't know but I suspect leadership ability has something to do with it.
> ...


The offensive line didn't change or protect Johnson any different than Culpepper.The difference was in style.Johnson uses a 3 step drop and dumps the ball short and let the guy run with it...."West Coast" offense.Culpepper uses a 5-7 step drop and looks down the field....takes more time to find and let the reciever sprint down the field.Thus the line has to hold blocks longer.He also runs out of the pocket where as Johnson doesn't.

What will be interesting is that Childress is a West Coast guy.Will Culpepper need to change or will Childress force him into a West Coast style.

With the seriousness of Culpeppers injury we can look for Johnson to start the season with the West Coast style and Culpepper on the sidelines as long as Johnson is winning.


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## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

Brad Johnson seems to see the whole field a lot better, I can't even count the times the announcers pointed out wide open receivers that Daunte failed to see. I know that even the best of QB's will miss an opportunity for an open receiver to take it to the house but with Culpepper it's like wow, take the blinders off. Ken, you should do some research in all of your spare time :lol: and figure out how many QB's the Vikings have had where the back-up/original starter making 10 times the money is watching on the sideline with 5 years left on his contract.


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## Joltin_Joe (Oct 11, 2005)

Couldn't agree more with Goldy.

I know I sound like every other critical football fan who blames their QB for an offense's failures, but I simply despise watching Daunte trying to play quarterback in the NFL.

He racked up pro bowl stats when he had a fantastic receiver core to throw downfield to. Moss would either be open or provide easy reads while he took extra members of the secondary. By the way, they still sucked!

Now, alongside a more balanced team with a respectable defense, he has to play qb like a real quarterback. This does not come easily for Daunte because he is not only incapable of reading a defense under center but also after the snap.

My pipe dream: trade Daunte to New Orleans to secure #2 pick. Draft Vince Young. With #17 spot, draft hometown pride Laurence Maroney.

Come on, it could happen. :lol:


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## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

> Report: Childress fires Cottrell, eight othersESPN.com news services
> 
> New Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress put his first stamp on the team, firing defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
> 
> ...


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## wirehairman (Oct 31, 2005)

I don't get the hate for CPep. The general Vikes fan made me sick this year. Daunte's team crumbles around him so he tries to take it on his shoulders and throws 4 picks and 1 or 2 TD's. Verdict: Hang him out to dry. Favre's team crumbles around him so he tries to take it on his shoulders and throws 5 picks and 0 TD's. Verdict: He's a god. Favre may have earned it, but the last I checked he still only has 1 ring in 15 seasons.

Honestly joltin_joe, you'd rather have Vince Yound under Center? He's going to be a less athletic version of Michael Vick, and that's really worked out for Atlanta.

IMO, the biggest problem the Vikes faced the first part of the season was the loss of Matt Burke. The offensive line seems to be constantly undervalued, and I think Burke is the most important player on the O side of the ball for the Vikes. Daunte never had to read defenses because Burke did and called the adjustments from the line. Starting a rookie at left guard didn't help the situation.

Toward the end of the season the o-line (1) still had absolutely no depth but got healthy, (2) began to gel because Tice took over the o-line and is one heck of a o-line coach despite being a poor head coach, and (3) were blocking for a less mobile, pocket passing QB which equals fewer adjustments.

I have reservations about Childress but am eternally hopefully for my beloved Vikes. Besides, CPep is not going to be the CPep of old after destroying a knee like that, so a West Coast offense and a coach that can teach Daunte to play in that offense could be a blessing in disguise. After all, Childress ran an offense designed around McNabb, who I see as a slightly less mobile CPep.


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## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

Well I'd take him over pepper any day. So Birk out is Daunte's reason for making terrible decisions through 7 games? Childress seems set on giving him a chance to be his guy but knowing Childress like I think I do already, he won't put up with performances like he had last season for very long, and definately not for what he is getting paid. No way. Pressure is on Pepper now, new coach and a back-up who has proven he can win ball games. Last I checked that was sort of important in the NFL.


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## wirehairman (Oct 31, 2005)

I am not saying Burke being out is an excuse for Daunte. I'm saying that his absence was under emphasized in the Vikings collapse at the beginning of the season.

When forced to try and make something happen, CPep makes a lot of mistakes. My point is that there is a future hall of fame QB in the same division that does the exact same thing. Neither of them should be put in that position, though.

I will be really be disappointed if the Vikes end up with Vince Young. If you're so hip for a fresh new QB, they should tank next year and pick up Brady Quinn.


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## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

Well I guess the Packer fans that I've heard call in on the packer radio show and the ones I work with have called Favre a lot of things this year and "God" was not one of them. He is on his way out for one thing, he had his prime, has Culpepper? How many more years does he get to show some consistancy? On paper the Vikes were supposed to run away with the North and go from there, hardly the same expectations the Packer organization had this year. I don't like to make excuses for Favre at anytime, he made some bonehead passes this year, but to compare what he had to work with compared to what Culpepper had is like comparing Nodak's duck habitat to Minnesota's. :lol: The games Pepper played and lost were over with at halftime. He turned the ball over so much and the O's 3 and outs put the D back onto the field without a breather way too often. Same offensive line played with Brad Johnson, hmmm, we win 6 in a row, granted the 6 were against mediocre competiton but the offense clicked and we won 2 in a row on the road for the first time in years. I don't really care if it's Vince Young, I just want to see a consistant QB for a change who has a brain upstairs to help him to not just win games, but to just not lose games for us, lately that's all you need in a Superbowl.


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## wirehairman (Oct 31, 2005)

Goldy's,

I agree with you on a lot of your point regarding consistency from the Vikings, particularly at QB. While I have a lot of reservations about Childress, the one thing I do like is the maturation of McNabb and reduction in boneheaded plays under his tutelage.

Daunte is going to have to change his game after that knee injury. He is too big to remain as mobile as he was on a reconstructed wheel. Hopefully, Childress can help him start playing with his head as well as his outrageous athletic ability.

One last thought on Vince Young (to kick the dead horse), why would you prefer him at the helm is you don't like CPep's style? Vince is going to be a two to three year project at best and make more boneheaded plays at first, run more than Daunte ever thought about, and is a less accurate thrower. The Vikes would do much better by trying to trade up to grab A.J. Hawk or Debrickashaw Ferguson.


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## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

> Hopefully, Childress can help him start playing with his head as well as his outrageous athletic ability.


 I agree, that will be huge factor in the up coming season/s.

It's not really peppers style I dislike, it's his poor decisions in crucial times during a game, poor ball management skills in the red zone, and his inability to find the open reciever, I think he locks himself in too much to one guy and doesn't see the field well. His love boat stunt doesn't sit to well with me either. These are sort of important features you look for in your so called premiere QB, am I right? He makes just slightly less than Vick, Manning and Brady. :huh: As far as why I would want Young? I don't know, :lol: I watched the Rose bowl with a few cold ones and thought he'd look good as a Viking. No big theory I guess, he just looked like he performed very good under pressure situations during the game, and pretty much took over the game, don't know much else about the guy and I wanna see a change in our QB situation. It would be nice to see Daunte get his act together, but I have my opinion on him that can only change if he does.


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## Joltin_Joe (Oct 11, 2005)

> Honestly joltin_joe, you'd rather have Vince Yound under Center? He's going to be a less athletic version of Michael Vick, and that's really worked out for Atlanta.


Yes I would, for many reasons that don't really matter. But about Young being a less athletic Vick... that's just a little off base. At 6'5" 230 he's more like a much more athetic Donovan or Daunte. Vick and Young are both scramblers with good arms, and the similarities are far stretched after that. They possess completely different talents. Vick is the human joystick, while Young is the lanky yet powerful sprinter.

I think the future will hold a very productive career for Young both running and passing. Along the way I would bet that you will see much less durability issues with Young. He won't be hurt every other week like Vick.



> IMO, the biggest problem the Vikes faced the first part of the season was the loss of Matt Burke. The offensive line seems to be constantly undervalued, and I think Burke is the most important player on the O side of the ball for the Vikes. *Daunte never had to read defenses because Burke did and called the adjustments from the line.* Starting a rookie at left guard didn't help the situation.


I definitely agree that Matt Burke is an invaluable player. He's a hall of fame center who's recognized by his peers as one of the best in the game. He's known for not only his physical abilities but also his knowledge for the game that allows him to alter blocking assignments and blocking schemes to form a better pocket or open up the running game. He was the captain of the O line.

But it's a little crazy to say that he read defenses for Daunte prior to his injury. I think even the great Matt Burke would agree that it's tough to read a secondary from a three point stance with 600 pounds of defensive tackles in your face. Centers do not read defenses for quarterbacks.


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## wirehairman (Oct 31, 2005)

Although I wrote it that way, I did not intend to say Burke read the defenses, especially in the secondary, for Daunte. I meant to refer to Burke making adjustments at the line for picking up blitzes and various defensive fronts, thereby buying the QB time and protection.

I think Daunte relied upon him too much and is not as advanced at recognizing blitzes or defensive rushes as he should be. Peyton is the perfect example. Try to blitz him, and he instantly recognizes it and usually makes the defense pay by dumping it to a RB or TE or quick out WR.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

What is your opinion of the Vikes picking Tomlin for D-coordinator?

I am cautiously optimistic.

Bob


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Sounds OK to me....anyone out of the Dungy/Kiffen mold with their blessing sounds good to me....but the Tampa2 defensive scheme could make for a roster turnover on defense and takes some time to learn....which was the problem the first half of this season with a bunch of new guys....now they start all over again.

Will it take half a season to get in sinq again?


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