After firing Doug Pederson earlier this month, the Jacksonville Jaguars revealed that they have sought an interview with Brian Flores for the vacant head coaching post.
The New York Jets and Chicago Bears have also sought an interview with Flores. Because the 43-year-old is the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator, they cannot interview him until January 16.
Flores’ NFL career began in 2008 as a special teams assistant for the New England Patriots. He was named safeties coach in 2012 before moving to linebackers coach in 2016. While he never had the official title of defensive coordinator, Flores oversaw New England’s defensive plays in 2019. The Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI by a score of 13-3.
The following year, Flores was hired as coach of the Miami Dolphins, where he remained for three seasons. The Dolphins finished 24-25 during his tenure, including two consecutive winning seasons, before firing him in 2022.
Flores filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL, accusing the Denver Broncos and New York Giants of interviewing him solely to fulfill the league’s Rooney Rule. Flores’ lawsuit also included charges of tampering in Miami, which cost the Dolphins one of their first-round draft picks in 2023 and a third-round pick in 2024.
Flores has been with the Vikings since 2023. He served as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2022 season.
He admitted that he would welcome the opportunity. to speak with the Patriots after they fired Jerod Mayo 90 minutes after their Week 18 victory over the Buffalo Bills, but he stated he does not make the ultimate decision. New England has been interviewing several individuals, including Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton. Mike Vrabel and Ben Johnson will do interviews with the Patriots on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
Leave a Reply