Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier to take year off from coaching
Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is stepping away from coaching for the 2023 season, the team announced in a news release Tuesday.
The Bills did not specify Frazier's reasoning for stepping away but stated that he planned to return to coaching in 2024.
Frazier, 63, is perhaps best known for his three seasons as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He has been with the Bills since 2017, leading a defense that has become one of the most consistent and productive units in the NFL.
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Buffalo's success under Frazier has made him a popular head coaching candidate in recent years. According to USA TODAY Sports research, he interviewed for four head-coaching vacancies in 2021 and 2022. He did not get an interview this year.
The Bills did not reveal in the news release who will serve as its defensive coordinator in Frazier's absence, but they did announce that they had hired Al Holcomb as a senior defensive assistant. Holcomb was promoted to defensive coordinator in Carolina last year following Steve Wilks' appointment as interim head coach. He also worked as Wilks' defensive coordinator in Arizona in 2018.
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buffalo Bills' Leslie Frazier to take year off from coaching in 2023
