Frazier Promoted To Assistant Head Coach Among Changes To Staff
The Bills made a handful of changes to their coaching staff on Wednesday afternoon, including promoting current defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier to the role of Assistant Head coach. Frazier will also remain as the team's defensive coordinator.
"Over the years I feel like I have been involved in a lot more than our defense, kinda behind the scenes," Frazier said on "One Bills Live" on WGR 550. "People don't know the conversations Sean and I have had from the day I got here."
Frazier joined the Bills staff as defensive coordinator in 2017 under Sean McDermott. He spent three seasons as the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings from 2011-2013. He has leaned on his experience as an NFL coach to help McDermott his first three seasons.
"My role has always gone beyond coordinating defense," Frazier continued. "He (McDermott) would say 'Hey Leslie, I have this meeting coming up with ownership...what are your thoughts on this?"
Frazier has built the Bills defense to be among the best in the NFL. In 2018, Buffalo finished as the second best defensive unit in the league and last season they finished third.
"What I thought about when I got here was one of my responsibilities was to help Sean hopefully make the same mistakes I did as a first time head coach and I have kind of tired to try to embrace that. And, fortunately, I am with a head coach who receives it the right way, doesn't get caught up in ego and we can have those hard conversations."
McDermott, who served as a defensive coordinator himself from 2011-2016 in Carolina, comes from the same coaching tree as Frazier, under Andy Reid.
"That is the beauty of our relationship is that it goes back to 1999 when we both joined the staff of Andy Reid in Philadelphia and to have that trust and to have those conversations is based on our history together and it helps a lot. He wants to do what is best for the Bills and he is not caught up in who gets the credit for it."
Frazier was also asked if he would ever consider returning to the head coaching ranks in the NFL, and he said he is not ruling it out.
"If that opportunity presented itself I would certainly be interested."
