Brian Flores Lands Another Interview
The Minnesota Vikings have two head coach candidates. Right after the conclusion of the regular season, two teams requested to interview the team’s defensive coordinator, Brian Flores, and the quarterbacks coach, Josh McCown. On Wednesday, a third request for Flores’s services was announced.
Brian Flores Lands Another Interview
The Jacksonville Jaguars posted on X: “We have requested an interview with Brian Flores for our Head Coach vacancy.”
Flores has turned around the struggling Vikings’ defense within two seasons. After an up-and-down first year, his crew played an impressive regular season in 2024, including top-five rankings in various metrics and statistical categories.
The strong performance of his coordinated unit and the team’s general success with a 14-3 record predictably resulted in some head coach consideration.
Flores also has a previous stint as a head coach on his resume, being the man in charge of the Miami Dolphins for three seasons between 2019 and 2021. He won five games with a horrendous roster in year one, followed by two seasons with nine wins.
Following his dismissal, he joined Mike Tomlin’s staff in Pittsburgh as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach. The Vikings hired him one year later. He spent his first 15 seasons in the NFL with the New England Patriots in different positions.
The Jaguars are Flores’ third interview request. He also landed a chance to become the new head coach of the New York Jets and the Chicago Bears. All three franchises have intriguing talent on the defensive side of the ball but need someone to build a new culture.
On Tuesday, Minnesota’s highest-ranked defensive coach told reporters that he plans “on sitting down and having conversations with any team that’s interested in talking to me about that position.”
During the 2024 season, 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’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.
He added that he would be waiting for the right opportunity, which surely makes sense considering that he is unlikely to get a third chance if the second isn’t working out.
The 43-year-old has earned head coaching consideration. He is eligible to interview for the jobs after the wild-card round, regardless of the result.
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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