Pro Career: Named the seventh head coach in Vikings' history on Jan. 6, 2006. Childress enters his 29th season of coaching, including his ninth in the NFL.

He joins the Vikings following seven years with the Philadelphia Eagles, including the past four seasons as offensive coordinator. During his tenure in Philadelphia, the Eagles reached Super Bowl XXXIX, played in four straight NFC Championship games, won four straight NFC East titles, and amassed a 70-42 (.625) record in the regular season.

During Childress' time as offensive coordinator (2002-05), the Eagles' 43 victories were the most in the NFC over that span. The Eagles' offense since 2000 featured seven players who earned 14 berths in the Pro Bowl.

Childress got his first taste of NFL coaching in 1985 when he served as the quarterbacks coach for the Indianapolis Colts.

Career record: 0-0.

Background: Coached at Illinois (1978-84), Northern Arizona (1986-89), Utah (1990), and Wisconsin (1991-98). The coaching staff at Northern Arizona included future NFL head coaches Bill Callahan, Marty Mornhinweg, and Andy Reid. Childress briefly played quarterback and wide receiver at Illinois before transferring to Eastern Illinois, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology.

Personal: Born June 27, 1956 in Aurora, Ill. He and his wife Dru-Ann have four children: Cara, Kyle, Andrew, and Christopher.