Brad Childress is Vikings head coach

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 1/04/2006

It did not take Vikings owner Zygi Wilf long to complete his search and hire Brad Childress as the seventh head coach in Vikings history, replacing Mike Tice after four years with a 33-34 record and one playoff appearance.

 

“When you’re going after something you want, you go after it quick, decisive, and make sure you get it. And get the person that you want,” said Wilf. “I give credit to everybody involved in the process in working with us that we did this above board but with determination and swiftness as one should do.

 

“We are very happy on how we handled this,” Wilf said, “and we look forward to building on this over the next couple of weeks. Our jobs are not over now [that] we have Brad here to help us.” 

 

Childress has been coaching a long time, since 1978 in fact — 28 years of pro and college coaching. Formerly with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he worked since 1999, he became offensive coordinator four years ago last year when the Eagles lost Super Bowl XXXIX to the New England Patriots.

 

While Childress was coordinator with the Eagles, they were 43-21 during the regular season and won the NFC East four years in a row. He did not call his own plays as coordinator; Head Coach Andy Reid wanted to do that, so he did. This is the first head coaching opportunity for the career assistant.

 

“Childress has the combination of integrity, experience and competitive spirit that were important in our search for a new Vikings coach,” said Wilf. Being a key part of the winning program in Philadelphia and his respect throughout the NFL made Brad the best choice to lead the franchise into the future.”

 

Former Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Dennis Green, now with the Arizona Cardinals, said, “I think Childress is a solid choice. He’s a very good coach.” Green quickly hired Steve Loney, the Vikings’ ex-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach, to be his offensive line coach at Arizona.

 

“One of the main reasons why we felt very confident about Brad being our head coach was [that] we were thinking alike; we communicated with one another well,” said Wilf.

 

“There was this ease between us that we feel very comfortable with. We have the same passion for the game. We have same respect for history and traditions, and this is the direction we wanted to go — we want to be traditionalist, we want to build on this franchise. We’ve been there so many times [the playoffs]…we want to build on that. We want to be consistent. We want to always have that shot at the championship, and I think we have our man to lead us there.”

 

“I’m a career football coach,” said Childress. “Although I did not coach in high school, I started at the grassroots level as a graduate assistant splicing tape, getting toilet paper for the coaches’ men’s room. I think what it does, when you work your way up the ladder and you have to grind like that, it gives you a great appreciation for the process.

 

“Although I’ve never sat in the seat before as a head coach, you have an idea of what it’s got a chance to be like sitting in that seat,” said Childress. He made it clear that Daunte Culpepper is his starting quarterback. 

 

 

Fitz Notes & Quotes

 

Daunte Culpepper, Bryant McKinnie, Fred Smoot and Moe Williams, the four Vikings charged with misdemeanors alleging lewd or indecent conduct in connection with the now-famous Love Boat Cruise October 6 on Lake Minnetonka, all filed not guilty pleas last week.

 

It appears the incident is now headed to trial. It will come down to the word of the employees of Al & Alma’s Boat Cruises who have accused the four Viking players.

 

Not many Vikings have spoken on the record challenging the witnesses (employees) who have claimed they saw them commit these acts of lascivious conduct. One exception: Vikings leading rusher Mewelde Moore, who was and still is engaged to be married in March, admitted to being on the cruise and defends his teammates.

 

Recently, an employee of Al & Alma’s claims to have participated in the incident. Yet U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger and Hennepin County Sheriff Patrick McGowan did not charge the employee.

 

“People take shots at guys all the time,” said Moore. “This is one opportunity. Somebody saw that he can make a name for himself and blow something out of proportion.”

 

“It‘s ludicrous!” Moore said. “The allegations and everything are highly overrated. The things that they are doing have no meaning. They are just doing things to just try and defame somebody. I’m kind of disgusted with the whole thing. I’m just praying that everything works out the way it should. We support them [the accused players], and we’re behind them.”