Brad Childress
Former Vikings head coach who led the team to the 2009 NFC Championship Game.
Brad Childress (born June 27, 1956) is an American former football coach. He worked for over 40 years as a coach for various college programs and National Football League (NFL) franchises. He was the offensive coordinator for Wisconsin from 1994 to 1998, the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2005, the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2006 to 2010, the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns in 2012, and the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016.
- Role
- Head Coach
- Affiliation
- Minnesota Vikings (NFL)
- Tenure Start
- 2006
- Tenure End
- 2010
- Former Team Connection
- Pittsburgh Steelers (Assistant/Coordinator)
- Key Offensive Coordinator
- Bill Musgrave
Lore & Background
Childress attended high school at the Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois. He is a 1978 graduate of Eastern Illinois University, where he preceded current Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton. Childress attended Eastern Illinois after playing quarterback and wide receiver at the University of Illinois. He suffered an injury before ever playing for Eastern Illinois. He was one of three Eastern Illinois University alumni who have been head coaches in the NFL, along with Sean Payton and Mike Shanahan. Prior to his hiring by the Vikings, Childress had worked exclusively as an offensive coach.
In Their Own Story
The air at Mall of America Field was crisp and biting as Brad Childress walked onto the sideline, his breath visible in the cold Minnesota morning. He adjusted his headset, eyes scanning the defensive line with the intensity of a man who had seen it all in Pittsburgh. The crowd's roar faded into a low hum as he signaled for the defense to adjust, his voice calm but commanding over the radio. 'Hold the gap,' he instructed, 'we don't give an inch.' In that moment, the weight of the franchise rested on his shoulders, hoping that discipline could conquer chaos.
Reader's Guide
Childress was hired as the 7th head coach of the Minnesota Vikings on January 6, 2006, replacing Mike Tice. The Vikings were 9–7 in 2005. After a 6–10 season in 2006, the team went 8–8 in 2007, then 10–6 and won the NFC North in 2008, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the playoffs. In 2009, the Vikings signed Brett Favre and went 12–4, losing to the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game. Childress was fired on November 22, 2010, after a 31–3 home loss to the Green Bay Packers dropped the team to 3–7.
Did You Know?
- Childress worked exclusively as an offensive coach before becoming Vikings head coach.
- He coached running back Ron Dayne for three seasons at Wisconsin; Dayne won the 1999 Heisman Trophy.
- Childress was one of three Eastern Illinois University alumni to become NFL head coaches, along with Sean Payton and Mike Shanahan.
- He was fired after a 31–3 home loss to the eventual Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers.
More in Club History & Eras
Elsewhere in the Minnesota Vikings universe
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