MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings coaching situation remained muddled Tuesday as president Roger Headrick put off, if only for one day, a showdown-type meeting with coach Dennis Green.
Green was at team headquarters in anticipation of a meeting with Headrick in which Green hoped to talk about his future and Headrick’s refusal to allow assistants to interview with other NFL teams.
Headrick didn’t show, although such a meeting still is believed to be imminent, perhaps as soon as Wednesday.
Neither Headrick nor Ray Anderson, the agent for Green and offensive coordinator Brian Billick, returned telephone calls Tuesday.
Green, who has one year left on his contract, wants an extension and might resign if he doesn’t get it. The final year of his contract is worth $900,000. If he resigned, Green also could sue for a settlement.
Billick’s situation is just as urgent.
He plans to seek permission to pursue the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive coordinator job. But if Headrick prevents him from interviewing, as he did last week, Billick also said he will consider resigning.
“I want to sit down with Roger and clarify my situation,” Billick said. “This is heading to a point where it has to be resolved by either an extension, resignation or firing. I don’t know what other options there are.”
Defensive coordinator Foge Fazio also was denied the chance to seek a similar job with other teams last week when Headrick personally reissued their supervisory designations. Green had told his coordinators that would not happen, and he was angry Headrick acted without consulting him.
Headrick has said his primary focus since the season ended 2 1/2 weeks ago is to sell the team. One of the 10 current owners, Headrick has been among the most prominent suitors. However, the growing dissent among the coaches in the past week could signal trouble for Headrick’s bid.
When the sale process is complete, there is reason to believe the Vikings will not be leaving Minnesota, the Saint Paul Pioneer Press reported Tuesday.
In 1979, then-NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and two executives with the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission signed an agreement that guarantees the league will not permit the Vikings to leave Minnesota until their Metrodome lease expires in 2011.
“I think it’s a powerful, potent weapon to keep the Vikings here,” said Bill Lester, executive director of the commission, which runs the Metrodome.
However, Lester also admitted there might be a way around the agreement.
The NFL could be forced to abandon its guarantee if there were a court order nullifying it. Lester pointed to a court order that allowed the Raiders to move from Oakland to Los Angeles in 1982 (they moved back two years ago).
“I’m not sure how ironclad it is, but we put a lot of faith and trust in the thing,” Lester said of the agreement, which was required by the Legislature in 1979 before it would approve the sale of bonds to pay for construction of the Metrodome.