Brian Flores Appears on Rival’s Head Coaching Radar
When the Minnesota Vikings were bounced from the playoffs in January of 2023 by a beatable New York Giants team led by Daniel Jones, it was clear that the club had to make some changes. Defensive coordinator Ed Donatell was fired after just one season. The organization turned to former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, knowing he might not be a long-term solution.
Brian Flores Lands on Rival’s Head Coach List
Flores is a well-respected defensive mind, but he was fired by the Miami Dolphins following the 2021 season. Because there wasn’t much interest around the league, he became the linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, a job he was clearly overqualified for.
One year later, he accepted Minnesota’s offer to fix the defense and help the team be more balanced between offense and defense, but with the intention of throwing his hat back into the ring of the head coaching carousel. Once again, in 2024, he couldn’t get any interest.
That has changed. He is reportedly a candidate for the open HC gig in Chicago. Dan McNeil from the Danny Mac Podcast tweeted: “Sources confirm these FOUR coaches are on the Bears’ list for HC: Ben Johnson, Brian Flores, Joe Brady, Mike Vrabel. They may want to talk to more candidates, but they’re targeting these four. More as soon as I get it.“
The Bears parted ways with head coach Matt Eberflus following the offense’s breakdown in the Thanksgiving matchup against the Lions, where they blundered away a chance to tie the game via field goal.
Chicago’s job is intriguing to some extent because they employ highly-touted first-overall pick Caleb Williams and some talented players on defense, especially in the secondary.
But Williams is the reason as to why Flores seems like an unlikely candidate. His experiences with 2020 draft pick Tua Tagovailoa when he was the head coach of the Dolphins have been widely discussed. Tua called him a terrible person in the summer. Flores then stepped in front of the media, claiming he had learned from the past.
Flores is part of the Bill Belichick coaching tree. His coordinators and assistants have gotten many head coaching chances, but for some reason, they can’t bring the so-called Patriot Way to a different franchise. The harsh tone that worked in New England under the future Hall of Famer can’t be transferred elsewhere.
Last month, Flores was asked whether he still has the intention to return to the top 32 jobs in the business: “Now, I may get some resistance from my kids, who are having a great time here in Minnesota. They’re having a fantastic time here just with school, and basketball, and football, and friendships and things like that. I think I’d get a little resistance, but for me personally, it’s something that I’d love to do again. With that said, Minnesota has been a great spot for me. My family, we’re really enjoying it,” the defensive mastermind said in November.
In Minnesota, Flores has completely transformed the defense from a passive unit to one of the most aggressive groups the league has seen. He is sending blitzes like no one else, and the Vikings rank sixth in points allowed, second in takeaways, fourth in sacks, and the run defense is elite. The 2024 version of Minnesota’s defense is third in EPA/play.
Flores is a brilliant defensive mind, and losing him would hurt the Vikings, especially if he exits to sign a deal with the division rivals. However, he has earned the right to chase another head coaching job.
An ongoing discrimination lawsuit and his history with a young quarterback might be problematic for his case.
Flores, 43, will surely get the chance to interview for some of the offseason’s openings.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt