Chance to lead again in the NFL? Enticing for Mike Tice

Vikings past and present intersect Sunday in Jacksonville as coach Brad Childress, champion of the flatline approach, takes on his predecessor, Mike Tice, a Jaguars assistant and human roller coaster of emotion, bravado and Long Island frankness.

It's the first time Tice will face his former team since he was fired by first-year owner Zygi Wilf on Jan. 1, 2006, moments after beating the Bears 34-10 to complete a 9-7 season.

Childress was hired five days later.

Tice, who aspires to be an NFL head coach again, is excited about facing his former team, but hesitated when asked if beating the Vikings would mean more to him.

"I hate to say no and I hate to say yes," Tice said. "What it means to me is we need a win. The Jaguars are 4-6."

Tice's title is assistant head coach/tight ends. Besides coaching the position he played for 14 NFL seasons, he also works closely with offensive line coach Andy Heck on blocking schemes and serves as confidant on all matters to head coach Jack Del Rio, a friend and former Vikings teammate.

"I have the relationship that I've been in that seat," Tice said. "I know what he's going through. He knows me. I'm going to give him an honest answer, whether he wants to hear it or not. That's always been my deal. I can't change it now."

The speed bumps

While Tice remains outspoken, he now maintains a low public profile and rarely does interviews. He relishes the teaching aspect of his job and has tried to learn from mistakes that cost him his only head coaching job.

He admits two of those mishaps might haunt him for the rest of his career and prevent him from getting another head coaching job. The first came June 30, 2005, when he was fined $100,000 by the NFL for his involvement in a Super Bowl ticket-scalping scandal. The second occurred during the bye week later that fall when 17 of his players became entangled in the infamous sex party aboard a charter boat on Lake Minnetonka.

"I'm absolutely sure the ticket thing will harm me because it harmed me last year with one particular team," Tice said. "The team came out and told my agent that they wouldn't consider me because of that. But you make your bed. You have to sleep in it."

Tice wouldn't identify the team. He reportedly was considered for the Dolphins job that went to Tony Sparano.

As for the incident on Lake Minnetonka, Tice said he believes he was unfairly blamed.

"I'm still very disappointed that it's been said that I had control or had anything to do with that," Tice said. "The ticket thing, I made a mistake. The other thing, you can't control your players 24 hours a day, as we see all around the league right now."

Looking back

Meanwhile, on the field, the perception of Tice's accomplishments as a head coach have improved with time and the Vikings' lack of consistency under Childress despite an ownership that has spared no expense.

In 42 games, Childress is 19-23, including 1-5 against the rival Packers. With far more financial constraints from ownership during most of his four-year tenure, Tice was 33-34 overall, including 1-1 in the playoffs and 5-4 against the Packers. In his final 42 games, Tice was 21-21, including a 31-17 wild-card playoff victory over the Packers at Lambeau Field at the end of the 2004 season.

"Based on what we had and who we were and the situation with Red [McCombs] selling the team, I always felt we were competitive each week and that we tried to put a good, well-coached team on the field," Tice said. "We were able to develop many young coaches, some of whom had not coached before at that level of the National Football League. We were able to win some football games, and we were able to win a playoff game. I left there disappointed that I wasn't able to finish it out. But I also left there feeling good about what we were able to achieve."

Tice said he still loves Minnesota, still has friends and rental property there, and considers himself a Vikings fan for life. He hasn't talked to Wilf since being fired, but said he has no bitter feelings for him.

"A man has to make a business decision and what he feels in his gut was the best thing for the football team," Tice said. "I appreciate that and I honor that. That's just the way life is."

Beating the Packers

Asked what his thoughts were on Wilf giving Childress a game ball for his first victory over the Packers two weeks ago, Tice laughed and said, "My thoughts are I think that I had a winning record against Green Bay, and beat them in the playoffs."

Tice was 3-2 in Lambeau. He has a game ball from the 2003 season opener when the Vikings beat the Packers 30-25 to ruin Green Bay's rededication ceremonies for the renovated Lambeau Field.

"I gave a game ball to everybody on the team, including myself," Tice said. "It has the logo on it that says the inaugural game for the new Lambeau Field, or whatever that logo said. I got it in a box somewhere at the house."

Three NFL head coaches already have lost their jobs during the season and several more could be fired at the end of the season. With his team at 4-6, Tice realizes he's probably not going to be on any hot lists if the Jaguars keep losing.

"To give yourself a chance to even have your name mentioned, you have to win, starting this week," Tice said. "I'd love to have another chance. I'm going to be 50 in February. I've learned a lot of lessons. Some good, some bad.

"But if I don't get another chance, I've got a great wife, two great kids, a lot of dear friends and a great boss in Jack Del Rio. It's not like I'd slit my wrists if I don't get another chance."