Brad Childress

Brad Childress

Record at Pro Football Reference

Brad Childress (born June 27, 1956 in Aurora, Illinois, U.S.) is a professional American football coach. He attended High School at Marmion Academy. 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.

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-Madison, running backs coach, offensive coordinator (1991-1998)
• Philadelphia Eagles, quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator (1999–2005)
• Minnesota Vikings, head coach (2006–Present)

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 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. 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. 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.

Coaching Style

Brad Childress is considered a third generation West Coast Offense disciple and is part of the Bill Walsh coaching tree. His coaching style borrows heavily from his time at the Philadelphia Eagles working under Andy Reid, who worked under Mike Holmgren, who worked under 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.

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 noticeable difference has been an overt effort to stick to the running game more than the Eagles have, resembling Mike Shanahan's style with the Broncos more closely. 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 the 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]

Criticism

During Childress' first year as head coach of the Vikings, the offense averaged around one touchdown per game. Although the Vikings had finished with a winning record the previous year and had significant salary cap space, the Vikings finished the year at 6-10 under Childress.

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. He has recently joined Minnetonka Country Club in Minnetonka Minnesota. Childress is also known to bear a striking resemblence to Major Dad star Gerald McRaney.[3]

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