Silver Minings: Leslie Frazier to interview for head coach opening on Tuesday, per report

This will be the first head coach interview for the Silver and Black

While the Las Vegas Raiders search for a full-time head coach has been in the news a lot lately, most notably with Maxx Crosby seemingly giving the team an ultimatum, the Raiders have yet to hold an interview for the vacancy. However, that’s going to change on Tuesday when the team is scheduled to speak with Leslie Frazier, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.

Frazier has been an NFL head coach before, from 2010 to 2013 with the Minnesota Vikings. Coincidentally, he was the Vikings’ interim coach for the last month and a half of the 2010 campaign and went 3-3 to earn the full-time gig in the offseason. He didn’t have much success in Minnesota tough, making the playoffs just once in three full seasons—a first-round exit in 2012—and finished with a record of 21-32-1.

Since then, Frazier has served as a defensive coordinator for two different clubs; the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014 and 2015, and with the Buffalo Bills from 2017 to 2022. His defenses ranked first and second in points allowed during his final two seasons in Buffalo, but the team opted to go in a different direction in a surprising move during last year’s offseason. As a result, he hasn’t been coaching this season.

Since Frazier hasn’t been with another club this year, this will be an in-person interview, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Jones also noted that Frazier met with an AFC West rival, the Los Angeles Chargers, on Sunday.

In other Raider’s links:

• General manager decision likely imminent: “It is my understanding the Raiders have conducted all the necessary in-person interviews for their GM position,” Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. “I would imagine an announcement soon. Perhaps this week.”
• Crosby gives brutally honest take on Josh McDaniels’ hire: “We f***** it all up,” Crosby said on his podcast ‘The Rush’ when discussing the decision to hire McDaniels over retaining Rich Bisccia, per Vic Tafur of the Athletic.
• Antonio Pierce leading candidate to land HC job: “There will be other options for Raiders owner Mark Davis to consider, but as one source said, ‘I would be blown away if Antonio weren’t the pick,’” via ESPN.
• Diving into Crosby’s strong stance on Pierce: “According to sources, and backed up by his comments Saturday, Crosby is tired of the instability within the franchise’s leadership,” writes Silver and Black Pride’s Bill Williamson. “… Crosby just doesn’t see the point of starting over when he feels like Pierce has shown he’s the man to lead the team.”