Tice fired after four-plus seasons as head coach

MINNEAPOLIS - Mike Tice will not return as the Minnesota Vikings' head coach.

The team has announced that owner Zygi Wilf would not renew Tice's contract. The announcement came right after the Vikings completed a 9-7 season with a 34-10 win over the Chicago Bears.

Tice went 32-32 in his four full seasons as head coach. His tenure was mostly marked by streaks and scandals, with a $100,000 fine levied last summer against him by the league for scalping his Super Bowl tickets.

That incident was followed by a wild boat party during the team's bye week in October that produced misdemeanor charges for four players, including quarterback Daunte Culpepper.

The Vikes moved into the playoff picture wiht a six-game winning streak that followed a 2-5 start. But they fell out of contention by suffering their second straight loss last Sunday in Baltimore.