Brian Flores Once Again Linked to Popular HC Job
The Minnesota Vikings made their last head coaching hire in the 2022 offseason after parting ways with Mike Zimmer following his eighth season with the club. Following weeks of interviews, the franchise decided to hire Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell, a move nobody regrets.
Brian Flores Once Again Linked to Popular HC Job
O’Connell has earned an extension that seems very likely to arrive in the offseason, meaning his tenure probably won’t be any shorter than Zimmer’s. Other teams, however, have a real coaching carousel and can’t find the right one.
One of those franchises is the Chicago Bears, who moved on from head coach Matt Eberflus during his third season after the Thanksgiving clock mismanagement.
His successor could come from the Vikings. Among numerous names, Minnesota’s defensive coordinator Brian Flores is a name connected to the Bears. Albert Breer from Si.com mentioned him in his latest article about this year’s head coach cycle.
“Another name connected to the position is Minnesota Vikings DC Brian Flores,” Breer wrote. “He was a Boston College teammate of Poles in 2003, and the two have similar roots in the Bill Belichick system (Poles worked under Scott Pioli in Kansas City).”
Having connections to the guys in charge is, next to the performance of the coordinated unit, the most significant element to getting interview offers for a head coach gig. Flores has a history with general manager Ryan Poles, which surely helps.
He could also benefit from another executive’s time with the Vikings: “I’m also told that Warren’s vetting of Flores with all his old connections in Minnesota (Warren worked for the Vikings for 15 years) yielded strong reviews for the 43-year-old.”
Kevin Warren is the President and Chief Officer of the Chicago Bears.
What could speak against Flores, however, is his time as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, when he and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa clashed. Breer commented on that matter, “He will, of course, have to lay out a plan for how things would be different with Williams than they were with Tua Tagovailoa in Miami.”
Caleb Williams, the 2024 first-overall pick and Chicago’s future of the franchise is the most important person on the roster. Developing him is crucial to turning around the organization.
Tua called Flores a terrible person in the summer. The coach then stepped in front of the media, claiming he had learned from the past. The connection between a head coach and his quarterback is vital, and O’Connell’s work with Sam Darnold is the perfect example of that. He is giving his QB1 the confidence he needs, and Flores apparently couldn’t connect with his young quarterback on a personal level.
In addition to that, an ongoing discrimination lawsuit might be problematic for his coaching chances.
Regardless of the QB problems, it should be noted that Flores’ defenders in Minnesota vouch for their coach whenever they can, and his general leadership qualities have never been questioned. Perhaps the Belichick coaching style he learned in a previous stint is outdated, and combining it with some of O’Connell’s more positive tendencies makes sense.
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.
At the end of the day, coordinating one of the elite units in the business and already having experience as a head coach is a strong calling card. There will be plenty of rumors about his future emerging in the next four to six weeks.
Unlike last year, Flores, 43, will surely get the chance to interview for some of the offseason’s openings.
The Jets, Saints, and Bears currently have interim head coaches. In addition to them, potential openings could arise in Jacksonville, Las Vegas, and the New York Giants. Others are possible, and a couple of surprise firings usually transpire soon after the season finale.
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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