EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Jan. 10 (UPI) -- The Minnesota Vikings named Mike Tice head coach Thursday, succeeding Dennis Green, who departed under pressure last week with one game left in a disappointing season.
Tice filled in as interim coach for that final game and it appeared the Vikings made no serious inquiries about going outside the organization to find a successor.
"I think it's important that we maintain some continuity," Tice said. "Change is good, but too much change is not good."
Terms of Tice's contract were not disclosed.
Tice has been coaching the Vikings offensive line for the last five seasons and was in charge of the team in Monday's 19-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens that concluded a 5-11 season.
There had been speculation that Vikings owner Red McCombs would consider waiting to see whether Tampa Bay Buccaneers Coach Tony Dungy would be available. Dungy, Green's defensive coordinator
in the early 1990s, will coach the Bucs this weekend in a playoff game at Philadelphia.
Instead, McCombs chose a candidate with no previous head coaching experience but one who has the respect of his players.
"I think he would very, very quickly clean up some of the concerns here," kicker Gary Anderson told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Tice's toughest task in Minnesota could be the handling of volatile star receiver Randy Moss.
There have been numerous sideline arguments among the players during games, primarily involving receivers Moss and Cris Carter. The incidents caused McCombs to question whether Green
had lost control of the team, but Tice insists the situation will be under control.
"Everybody will now where I stand. There will be no secrets,"
Tice said. "Randy and I will have no secrets. In talking to him, he's willing to support me."
An indication that Tice might get the job came Tuesday when Tice, despite wearing only an interim tag, announced four changes to the coaching staff.
Linebackers coach Richard Solomon, offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis, defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas and running backs coach Carl Hargrave all were told that their contracts would not be renewed.
Tice said Thursday he would go outside the organization to find an offensive coordinator and would not call his own plays.
Green and the Vikings reached a buyout agreement last week after it was initially reported that McCombs was prepared to fire his coach following Monday night's finale.
After reaching the NFC championship game last season, the Vikings endured their first losing season under Green and failed to reach the playoffs for only the second time in his tenure.
"You're only one or two players way from changing things, as Chicago proved this year," said Tice about the NFC Central champion Bears. "The next thing you know they're in the playoffs."
Minnesota was 97-62 with four NFC Central titles under Green, and reached the NFC championship game twice in the previous three years.
Tice will take over a team beset by tragedy. On August 1, star right tackle Korey Stringer died of heat stroke in training camp. As offensive line coach, Tice could be questioned as part
of a civil suit filed by the Stringer family.
The 42-year-old Tice joined the Vikings in 1996 as tight ends coach after a 14-year NFL career as a tight end that included three years with Minnesota. He spent 10 years with the Seattle
Seahawks and also played for the Washington Redskins.
Tice was a quarterback at Maryland and moved to tight end in his rookie year in the NFL.
In a related story, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Green has ruled out a return to coaching next season. He will instead be a commentator for a live fishing show on the PAX
network channel while pursuing a chance to broadcast NFL games.
