Brad Childress

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Brad Childress
Date of birth	June 27, 1956 (age 50)
Place of birth	Aurora, Illinois
Position(s)	Head coach
College	Eastern Illinois
Career Highlights
Career Record	5-6-0
Championships          Won	2004 NFC Championship
Coaching Stats	Pro Football Reference
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1978-1984 1985 1986-1989 1990 1991-1998 1999-2005 2006-present	Illinois Indianapolis Colts Northern Arizona University University of Utah University of Wisconsin Philadelphia Eagles Minnesota Vikings

Brad Childress (born June 27, 1956 in Aurora, Illinois, USA) is a professional American football coach. Prior to being selected as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings beginning with the 2006 season, Childress worked as an assistant coach for various college organizations and NFL franchises, most recently with the Philadelphia Eagles.

[edit] Career

Prior to his hiring by the Vikings, Childress had worked exclusively as an offensive coach, working his way up through the ranks in various college and NFL organizations, first as a position coach, culminating with his offensive coordinator position with the Eagles. Since 1978, Childress has worked for four college organizations and three NFL teams:

• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, running backs/wide receivers coach (1978–1984)
• Indianapolis Colts, quarterbacks coach (1985)
• Northern Arizona University, offensive coordinator (1986–1989)
• University of Utah, wide receivers coach (1990)
• University of Wisconsin, running backs coach, offensive coordinator (1991-1998)
• Philadelphia Eagles, quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator (1999–2005)
• Minnesota Vikings, head coach (2006–Present)

[edit] Hiring by the Minnesota Vikings

On January 6, 2006, Childress was hired to be the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. This choice was the result of a fervent and short-lived selection process. Former coach Mike Tice was informed that his contract would not be renewed shortly after the Vikings' last game of the 2005 season on December 31, and rumors began to circulate about Childress as the new head coach on January 5. Four candidates were interviewed by the Vikings: Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Al Saunders, Indianapolis Colts assistant head coach Jim Caldwell, and former Vikings defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell.

The short length and small breadth of the selection process was questioned by some in the local media. Vikings owner Zygi Wilf, who is known as an intense football fan but not as an expert on the game, was criticized for not first hiring a top-shelf personnel manager who would then be tasked with hiring a new head coach. Childress had never been a head coach before and never called his own plays, which he would be doing with the Vikings.

[edit] Coaching Style

Brad Childress with Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren in 2006 after the Vikings broke their 13 home game winning streak.

Brad Childress is considered a 3rd generation West Coast Offense disciple. His coaching style borrows heavily from his time at the Philadelphia Eagles working under Andy Reid, who worked under Mike Holmgren, who worked under Bill Walsh. Walsh popularized the West Coast Offense system while winning three Super Bowls with it in the 1980's. Since then many of Walsh's coordinators spread it to others teams successfully. Childress has added his own wrinkles to the system though.

A Star Tribune article quoted Childress as saying this about Holmgren, his mentor's mentor: "For people that know what they're looking at, Mike is the purest of the West Coast guys," Childress said. "He's still running the split-back sweep, which, football-wise, people don't believe you can bring a back on that side of the formation over to this side of the formation and run it around the corner.

"He's still attacking nickels the same way. ... Not that they are not creative, but he has not fiddled with it to the extent that maybe Mike Shanahan, Andy Reid, Jon Gruden, those guys (other West Coast Offense disciples) have."

"I know [Holmgren] has added stuff, too, but as you always go back, you say, 'Geez, there is 72 X Shallow Cross. Holy cow,' " he said. "They are running that base play out of the [original] west Coast offense. It's not too simple for him. It still has merit to it." [1]

When Childress briefly signed Todd Pinkston after being cut from Philadelphia Eagles, Pinkston said the Vikings playbook was pretty much the same as Philadelphia's. One large difference has been an overt effort to stick to the running game more than the Eagles have though, kind of like Mike Shanahan with the Broncos. In his first season he went out of his way to sign offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson, fullback Tony Richardson, and running back Chester Taylor. Having made comments on how lack of a running game really hurt them in Philadelphia, he's stuck to the running game more than the Minnesota Vikings have seen in almost a decade. Half-way through the season, Chester Taylor had either run with the ball or been passed to on 44% of the offensive plays. [2]

[edit] Criticism

During Childress' first year the offense has only mustered about one offensive touchdown per game which is a lot less than Minnesota fans have been used to since the era of Denny Green. Because of his sticking to the running game, he has come under fire recently for predictable playcalling. Cornerback Antoine Winfield said this of the playcalling: "You know, run every first and second down, throw third down." [3] Childress contended they'd run only fifty percent of the time on first downs the last few games [4]. He's also come under fire for being too conservative in the passing game and not calling enough deep ball plays, although quarterback Brad Johnson has averaged at least three 20+ yard pass completions per game all season which is above average. He's been criticised for his support of the oldest starting quarterback in the league Brad Johnson and #1 receiver Troy Williamson who leads the league in dropped passes, although Johnson had won a Super Bowl four seasons ago in a similar system and 1st round draft pick Williamson is only in his second year in the NFL.

[edit] Personal life

Childress is married and has four children. His wife's name is Dru-Ann, and his children's names are Cara, Kyle, Andrew, and Christopher. He is one of a current triumvirate of Eastern Illinois University alums that are head coaches in the NFL, along with Mike Shanahan and Sean Payton.

[edit] External links

• Vikings set to pick Brad Childress, Minneapolis Star Tribune story
• Rush job of hiring leads to more than a passing concern, column by the Star Tribune's Jim Souhan
• Vikings team coaching bio