Dolphins will interview Frazier

By JUDD ZULGAD, Star Tribune

Last update: January 4, 2008 - 1:10 AM

Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier will interview for the Dolphins head coaching job, according to a newspaper report. Frazier told the Miami Herald website he would be getting another call Thursday night or this morning from the Dolphins to finalize plans to sit down and talk.

Although Miami did not have to receive permission to speak to Frazier -- that is only necessary when an assistant might make a lateral move or become a coordinator -- the Dolphins did contact the Vikings on Thursday shortly after Cam Cameron was fired as head coach.

Vikings coach Brad Childress acknowledged at his season-ending news conference he had received requests from two teams to speak with a couple assistants but declined to specify the coaches or clubs.

Frazier expects he will meet with new Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland, Vice President of Football Operations Bill Parcells and owner Wayne Huizenga. Parcells was hired by Huizenga two weeks ago to take over a once-proud franchise that went 1-15 this season.

The Herald reported the Dolphins want to interview around five candidates for the job. Frazier, who has no connection to Parcells or Ireland, told the paper his agent had been contacted by one other team about its head-coaching job, but he would not reveal the franchise. Atlanta and Baltimore also have vacancies.

This is the second year in a row a Vikings defensive coordinator has interviewed for a head coaching spot after only one season in Minnesota. Last January, Mike Tomlin was hired to take over the Steelers.

Frazier, 48, had been a defensive backs coach and special assistant to Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy for two seasons before replacing Tomlin. Under Frazier, the Vikings defense was No. 1 against the run for the second consecutive season, but finished 20th overall because a bottom-ranked pass defense.

A person with knowledge of the situation said the other Vikings assistant who might be departing is defensive backs coach Joe Woods. In this case, Childress granted permission to an unidentified team for what most likely would be a lateral move.

Woods, 37, has been in his current position for two seasons and came to Minnesota with Tomlin. Tomlin attempted to take Woods with him to Pittsburgh last year, but the Vikings blocked that attempt.

The Vikings have been at the bottom of the NFL in pass defense during Woods' tenure, giving up 264.1 yards per game this season after finishing tied for last with Cincinnati in 2006 with an average of 238.6 yards.

Williamson's future

Childress did not meet on-on-one with Troy Williamson after the season and shed little light on the receiver's future. The seventh-overall pick in 2005 has been plagued by dropped passes and had two more key ones in Sunday's loss at Denver.

"One thing I have to say about Troy is Troy worked extremely hard this offseason to try to better himself," Childress said. "He tried different things; we tried different things to improve. He is still under contract with the Minnesota Vikings and he is part of those ongoing discussions that we'll have next week when we talk about the receiver position."

Etc.

• Childress said several players will undergo offseason surgery, including cornerback Antoine Winfield, nose tackle Pat Williams, receiver Bobby Wade, defensive end Jayme Mitchell and left tackle Bryant McKinnie. ... The Vikings signed six members of their practice squad to 2008 contracts, including guard Brian Daniels; wide receivers Joel Filani, Martin Nance and Justin Surrency; cornerback Dee McCann; and running back Arkee Whitlock.