First Team Says “No Thanks” to Brian Flores
The Minnesota Vikings exceeded all expectations in the 2024 season, winning a 14-3 record, resulting in the second playoff berth in three years after missing the tournament in the previous two campaigns. That, of course, put the coaching staff and the players on the map.
First Team Says “No Thanks” to Brian Flores
Brian Flores has coordinated Minnesota’s defense in the last couple of seasons, turning around the dreadful group from the past by implementing a blitz-heavy scheme that can have opposing passers shake.
He has landed three interviews with the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets. However, he was eyeing a return to the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick’s old club fired his hand-picked successor after only one season in charge.
They turned around to hire another of Belichick’s former players, ex-Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, the organization announced via their official social media accounts. On X, the club posted, “He’s back! Patriots Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel returns to New England as our 16th head coach.”
In six years with the Titans, Vrabel registered a 54-45 win-loss record, winning the division twice and earning three trips to the AFC playoffs. After seasons with seven and six wins in 2022 and 2023, Tennessee’s brass chose to relieve him of his duties. During the 2024 campaign, the coach was a consultant for the Cleveland Browns.
As a player, the former linebacker won three Super Bowls with the Patriots. Adam Schefter tweeted:
“Homecoming: Mike Vrabel and the Patriots reached a multi-year agreement to make him New England’s next head coach, per sources. Vrabel now is the seventh individual to become the head coach for a franchise he once helped win a Super Bowl as a player, joining Jerod Mayo, Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, Art Shell, Jeff Saturday and Jason Garrett.”
Flores indicated his interest in the job earlier this week.
Flores worked in New England for 15 years but strangely couldn’t even get an interview with them in consecutive offseasons.
He left the Patriots for the division rivals Dolphins in 2019 to become their head coach. In the first season, he took one of the worst rosters the league has ever seen to five victories, and he finished with nine wins in each of the following two campaigns.
After one year as the linebackers coach for the Steelers, he was hired by the Vikings and has coordinated the defense ever since.
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.
A problem for Flores could be his ongoing discrimination lawsuit and the accusations of his former quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. The two clearly didn’t get along, and building a relationship with the quarterback is important for a head coach, as Flores can see first-hand while working with Kevin O’Connell in the Twin Cities.
Flores will turn 44 in February, and a new job could be his birthday present. The Vikings would surely like for him to stay for another year.
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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