Childress directs his team against the Rams.

Coaches Spotlight:
Brad Childress, Minnesota Vikings

By Jeremy White, NFLHS.com

In his first year as an NFL head coach, Brad Childress led the Minnesota Vikings to a 6-10 mark. The Vikings struggled to put the ball into the end zone in 2006, something Childress vows to fix in 2007.

If history is any indication, Childress' chances at success are good. He's an offensive-minded coach who has spent time specializing with running backs, receivers and quarterbacks at his many stops en route to Minnesota.

Childress began his coaching career in 1978, when he coached backs and receivers at the University of Illinois. From there he was the quarterbacks coach for the Indianapolis Colts before taking over as the offensive coordinator at Northern Arizona.

He also coached at Utah and Wisconsin before coaching quarterbacks, and then moving into the offensive coordinator's role, for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was in Philly from 1999 to 2005, where he powered the West Coast offense under head coach Andy Reid.

The West Coast offense is characterized by a short passing attack, among other things. As many high schools across the nation continue to adopt forms of the offense developed and perfected by Bill Walsh, Childress says one of the keys to success is the coach's ability to evaluate the talent he has and place players in the right roster spots.

"You pick and choose and look for the flavor you're looking for," he says. "You look at their speed and how high they can jump, but it really comes back to what they can do on the field. That's the best way to measure their abilities."

That's why it's important for new head coaches to pour over game films when they take over a team. Says Childress: "If you have tape of them, that's your best resource."

Of course, the first thing a coach must do - regardless whether he's new to a program - is earn and demand the respect of his players. Otherwise, they won't value the coaching staff's instruction.

"One of the most important things is how the players take coaching," Childress says. "That's something you're always looking at and considering."

No position in the West Coast offense is more important than that of quarterback.

"Your quarterback has to be rock solid," Childress says. "You're looking for someone with leadership, someone who is focused."

On defense, the first goal is to stop the run. After that, it's to put pressure on the quarterback and force him into errant throws.

"You want to be able to pressure the quarterback and put him under duress," Childress says. "If you want to improve your coverage in the defensive backfield, the best way to do that is to focus on strengthening your pass rush. Of course, speed is something you always like to have, particularly on defense."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.