The resurgence of Brian Flores — Andscape

EAGAN, Minn. – By any metric, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has thrived in his role, and he should be a top candidate for head coaching positions during the NFL’s upcoming hiring cycle.

It’s as obvious as the defense’s contribution to the Vikings’ success.

Based on conventional statistics and advanced analytics, Flores leads one of the league’s most effective units. An innovator, he’s among the game’s best tacticians. And players who report to the demanding teacher do so with pride.

Combined with the fact Flores achieved some positive results in his first stint as a head coach, his name figures to be on many lists of NFL franchises seeking new on-field leadership. The question is, what will club owners focus on most – Flores’ accomplishments or his lawsuit against the league.

Fired by the Miami Dolphins on Jan. 10, 2022, Flores filed a class-action lawsuit (which was later amended to include additional coaches) against the NFL and multiple teams alleging racial discrimination in its hiring practices. According to court documents, Flores’ lawsuit is stalled in a preliminary dispute because the NFL believes it should be subject to internal arbitration rather than litigation.

One would have to be naive to believe that Flores’ legal battle against the NFL won’t adversely affect his future in the league. On the other hand, the Pittsburgh Steelers were undeterred from hiring Flores as an assistant only a month after he was ousted in Miami. After one season with Pittsburgh, Flores moved on to his current prominent role with the Vikings.

Of course, Flores has no control over the hiring process. And no one knows whether Flores’ lawsuit will be an insurmountable hurdle to his goal of reaching the top rung of the coaching ladder again. What’s clear, however, is that after being blindsided by an unexpected career downturn, Flores has been rejuvenated by his positive experiences with Pittsburgh and Minnesota, and his work speaks for itself.

As the Vikings prepare for a road game Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, Flores is focused on helping the team make a strong closing kick to the finish. But make no mistake, he aspires to guide a team again. And if given another opportunity, Flores is convinced that he would be a better leader.

“I’m so much better now,” Flores said Wednesday during a lengthy interview with Andscape at the Vikings’ practice facility. “I just believe that if I get another opportunity, somebody’s gonna get a high-level coach.”

Flores attributes much of his growth to his time under Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, the past three seasons. Reared professionally by the New England Patriots, Flores, who played linebacker at Boston College, joined the franchise as a scouting assistant at 23.

During his 15 years with the Patriots, they won four Super Bowl championships, and Flores was mentored by Bill Belichick, who with six Super Bowl titles is the most successful coach in league history. Flores moved from the scouting department to Belichick’s coaching staff for 11 seasons, eventually rising to become the Patriots’ defensive play-caller when they won Super Bowl LIII over the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, their last league title of the Belichick era.

For his entire pro career, Flores viewed football through one lens. Tomlin and O’Connell offered him new ways to see things.

Tomlin’s hiring of Flores as Pittsburgh’s senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach (so soon after Flores was fired by Miami and despite the anger at him throughout the league because of his lawsuit), was essential for Flores to begin to climb again.

“It allowed me to put some things behind me quickly, negative events or whatever you wanna call it,” Flores said. “I was able to really focus on being of service to Coach T. and the city of Pittsburgh. The Rooneys [owners of the Steelers] were just tremendous to me. It was really the first time I’d been around someone different than Bill. That was really eye-opening for me to see another way to [have] meetings, practice, do scheduling and a lot of other things.

“You don’t know what you don’t know. You work based on your experiences. If you’ve been one place, like how are you just gonna completely change it? You dunno if it will work. Having only been in New England, and then running a team myself, it was a great experience to see how Coach T. did things in Pittsburgh. Obviously, it was a well-oiled machine. To be in two buildings that each have six [Super Bowl] championships, but do things differently, it couldn’t have been better for me to grow.”

Then there were Flores’ personal interactions with Tomlin, who’s considered among the best in the business at building bridges.

“My one-on-one time with him … it was very beneficial,” Flores said. “Coach T., just having the ability to pick his brain, whether it’s about personnel or situations or [strategy], that was great. It definitely helped me get better.

“Or just watching him. Just watching how he goes about building relationships, really throughout the building, was just so different than anything I had been around. And the way he does it all, it was really more my speed, honestly.”

Partnering with O’Connell has accelerated Flores’ evolution.

Flores was familiar with O’Connell, having been with the Patriots when they selected the former San Diego State quarterback in the third round (94th overall) of the 2008 NFL draft. O’Connell has spent his entire coaching career on offense, working closely with quarterbacks.

With O’Connell’s help, Flores is now seeing the game through the quarterback’s eyes more than ever. For team owners, the development of quarterbacks is paramount, and anyone who hopes to occupy a coach’s office knows the deal.

“Obviously, I understood the importance of the head coach-quarterback dynamic [before he joined the Vikings]. But it goes back to what I was saying about seeing a new way of doing things,” Flores said. “Kevin is really good with how he works with quarterbacks. The things he [prioritizes] and the way he builds relationships. Just watching that closely, it has helped me.”

Considering the blistering criticism Flores faced from quarterbacks once under him in Miami, this seems important.

After Flores’ departure from Miami, Dolphins Pro Bowl quarterback Tua Tagovailoa spoke publicly about being treated poorly by the team’s former head coach. Former Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick revealed during a Prime Video broadcast that Tagovailoa was “broken” by Flores’ coaching style. And on The Dan Le Batard Show, Tagovailoa referred to Flores as a “terrible person.”

Flores offered a respectful response to Tagovailoa’s comments, saying, in part, he was “genuinely, genuinely happy for the success that Tua has had,” and adding there were things he “could do better for sure.”

Flores was fired by the Dolphins and blasted by two people who play the most important position in sports. Under the circumstances, even Flores understands why many NFL observers would view his tenure in Miami as a disaster.

Fact is, though, Flores did some good things for the Dolphins.

Miami went 9-8 in his final season in 2021. The previous season, the Dolphins finished 10-6. Before Flores’ consecutive winning seasons, Dave Wannstedt was the last Miami coach to achieve them – during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Based on wins and losses, the most important yardstick by which coaches are measured, Miami made significant progress.

Around the league, it’s known that coaches baptized in “The Patriot Way” are hard-charging taskmasters, and Flores would be the first to acknowledge he’s demanding. But Vikings players literally stand with him.

When Flores addressed Tagovailoa’s comments, he was flanked by safety Josh Metellus and defensive lineman Harrison Phillips. The show of support for Flores was not offered as a symbolic rebuttal of Tagovailoa’s position, the players said.

It’s just that their experience with Flores doesn’t match.

“It wasn’t to bash Tua. I don’t even know him, so let him do him,” Metellus said. “My thing was just to let people know that we’re behind [Flores], and that the people in this building have a different view. The people in this building trust him. We’ve got his back through anything, ’cause we know he’s got ours.”

Phillips was equally effusive in his praise of Flores.

“If I weigh every interaction that I’ve had with him, every direct conversation, or even watching him coach other players, watching him interact with other coaches, he has left me with a positive impression,” Phillips said. “I love the way he sees the game of football. I love the way he listens to his players.”

For the most part, Vikings management has provided Flores with the players he wants.

Collectively, the group possesses a high football IQ, which is required to succeed in Flores’ unconventional combination of defensive alignments, which confound opponents. The Vikings lead the NFL in DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average), which, in a nutshell, means their defense performs 40% better than the average NFL defense.

For those not interested in advanced analytics, here’s a simpler way to gauge the Vikings’ defensive prowess: They’re second in the NFL in rushing defense (79 yards allowed per game) and third in scoring defense (17.4 points).

In the NFC North, the Vikings (7-2) trail only the division-leading Detroit Lions (8-1). After investing in Flores, O’Connell is getting a big return.

“There’s a lot of high-level football going on above the neck,” O’Connell said. “And then the ball gets snapped, and there’s high-level football [in] tackling fundamentals of stopping the run, forcing people into longer third-down situations.”

Around the league, Flores’ supporters are taking notes.

On the strength of Minnesota’s defensive performance, Flores, who is Afro Latino, should be in the mix for head coaching positions this cycle, said Rod Graves, the leader of the group that advises the NFL on diversity, equity and inclusion in hiring.

“Brian has done a remarkable job. His influence as a strategist, game disciplinarian and motivator stands out each week,” Graves, executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, wrote to Andscape in a text message.

“He’s helped Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings staff re-establish the brand of football the team knew in earlier times. His units come prepared to win. Brian is optimizing the talent of his players. There is no question in my mind that he displays the qualities NFL teams typically seek in a head coaching candidate.”

On that, Minnesota’s head coach and Graves are aligned.

“One of my favorite parts of the job is just spending that time with him and the dialogue we have. He has made me a better coach,” O’Connell said. “And he’s been a great version of himself … and what I expected. He’s been fantastic for us.”

At only 43, Flores would still be relatively young for an NFL head coach. His coaching acumen is not in question, he has expanded his horizons while looking inward, and his passion for teaching has never burned brighter.

All Flores needs is another opportunity to show how far he’s come.

“I’m where my feet are. I’m the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, and I want to serve this team any way I can,” Flores said. “Do I feel I can sit in the [coach’s] chair again? Absolutely. But I’m happy here. I get to coach a great group who enjoy playing.

“I say to players all the time, ‘The [game] tape is your walking, talking, breathing résumé. It’s all right there for everyone to see. And if your tape’s good, and that goes for players and coaches as well, then there’s really not much more you can do.”

Since leaving Miami, Flores has done a lot on and off the field. When the hiring of head coaches heats up, we’ll learn the NFL’s judgment on all of it.