EAGAN, Minn. — Brian Flores paused during a reflection on his path through the NFL, unabashed by his goal of getting another head coaching job, to make clear how much he has appreciated his experience as defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings.
“It’s been fantastic here in Minnesota,” Flores said, “so it would have to be the right situation to leave for me and my family.”
He won’t put any of his own conditions on the search process, though. Flores said in his regular weekly interview session with reporters on Tuesday that he would accept each interview request that were to come to him this winter.
“I plan on sitting down and having conversations with any team that’s interested in talking to me about that position,” Flores said. “I look forward to talking to people about my football journey, and when that time comes I’ll do that.”
His candidacy is more complicated than most, because of the federal lawsuit he filed against the league nearly three years ago after the Miami Dolphins fired him following a three-season stint as their head coach. Flores, who is Black, alleged racist hiring practices for leadership positions across the NFL.
Teams with vacancies must abide by the Rooney Rule, which requires an in-person meeting with at least two nonwhite or female candidates from outside the organization. Flores in his lawsuit described a “sham interview” with the Denver Broncos in 2019 that he believed was simply to check the Rooney Rule box. It’s no surprise, then, to hear him speak carefully about his vision for the process.
“It’s no different to me than any other interview setting in any other industry: Is the vibe, is the energy, is the connection something that you think will be an environment that you can predict that will be a winning environment?” Flores said. “There’s a lot of people involved in that and there’s a synergy you have to have, so I’m kind of looking for that type of synergy also.”
The coaching carousel started spinning this week across the league in the background of the beginning of the playoffs, and the performance of Minnesota’s defense this season again put Flores in the mix. That success helped fuel a 14-3 finish for the Vikings, who play at the Los Angeles Rams in an NFC wild-card round game on Monday night. That’s where Flores is solely focused, of course. NFL rules prevent him from taking virtual interviews until next week and in-person meetings until Jan. 20, unless the Vikings reach the NFC championship game. In that case, in-person interviews would have to wait until Jan. 27.
The net has been cast wide. The Chicago Bears’ search for a new coach has few limits.
Six teams are currently in search mode for a coach: the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets. The Bears and Jets, ESPN reported, have requested interviews with Flores. The Jaguars announced a list of eight candidates they’ve targeted, meanwhile, and Flores was not on it. Asked specifically about the Patriots, Flores acknowledged his interest in returning to his original organization.
“Any time you’re mentioned in these head coaching conversations or receiving requests, it’s an honor. I definitely don’t take that lightly. … But I also kind of pride myself in being able to compartmentalize and really lock in or prioritize the different things that are happening in my life,” Flores said. “I think everyone in this profession does the same thing, because we all have a lot of different things going on, and this is part of that. I can tell you this: I’m certainly locked in on the Rams and all of the things that they do.”
Flores was criticized last summer by Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for the way he coached him, a rebuke that stung Flores but compelled him toward personal growth and improvement. He described his time working with Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and supervising a close-knit defense with three Pro Bowl picks and an NFL-leading 24 interceptions this season as two of his most rewarding years in the game.
“It’s been a great group. It’s a group that really came together quickly,” Flores said. “We have a good time. But we also work very hard, too.”
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