Brian Flores’ brawn belies his brain.
Boston College listed Flores as a 5’11”, 195 lb. defensive back out of Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, where he grew up as the son of Honduran parents.
As a senior, he clashed with Frank Gore and the Miami Hurricanes in 2003 and broke up a crucial pass to Gore on third-and-seven in the first quarter. However, No. 2 Miami rolled, and his playing days ended on an eight-win team that went to a non-descript bowl game.
Still, at 43, Flores looks like he could get a stop on third-and-three if Kevin O’Connell slapped shoulder pads on him and gave him a pep talk. Only, he has man strength and probably would line up as a middle linebacker.
Flores probably doesn’t have the speed to cover receivers over the middle. However, he’d know exactly where he should be to defend the play. Flores would know how to deceive the quarterback into thinking he was blitzing and then sniff out the crossing route. He’d know that the receiver was running on an ankle sprain he sustained in Week 3, has a limited catch radius, and gets alligator arms when he sees a linebacker covering over the middle.
He knows that because Bill Belichick gave Flores his first NFL job after he graduated in 2003. He learned in the New England Patriots crucible, starting as a scouting assistant in 2004 and becoming a full scout in 2006 before beginning his coaching career in 2008. Flores started his coaching career as a special teams assistant the same year he met O’Connell, the Patriots’ third-round pick in the 2008 draft.
Seventeen years later, O’Connell hired Flores as his defensive coordinator.
Flores spent 10 seasons in the Patriots organization, grinding tape and learning football from one of the greatest coaches ever. Those were the halcyon days before Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross hired him as his head coach in 2019 and allegedly paid him to lose games two years later. It was a time before team owners allegedly brought him in for half-hearted interviews to adhere to the Rooney Rule. Before Tua Tagovailoa called him a “terrible person” on Dan LeBatard’s podcast.
Flores worked long hours for Belichick, a demanding boss, but he learned football from multiple perspectives in New England.
- He was a special teams assistant from 2008 to 2009
- An offensive assistant and special teams coach in 2010
- A defensive assistant in 2011
- He coached safeties from 2012 to 2015 and linebackers from 2016 to 2018
As someone who scouted and coached offense and defense, few people were more qualified to be a head coach when Miami hired him in 2019.
“You start an organization by finding a great leader,” Stephen Ross said at Flores’ introductory press conference, acknowledging that most teams were hiring offensive coaches because of Sean McVay’s success with the Los Angeles Rams. “I’m really thrilled to say that I believe we have found that leader that can really take us into the future.”
Miami went 24-25 under Flores. In 2021, his final season, the Dolphins started 1-7 but rallied to win seven straight and finish 9-8. Ross allegedly paid him $100,000 to lose that season, hoping to tank for a top pick after a slow start rather than barely missing the playoffs. People locally and nationally ripped Miami for firing Flores, given how he had rallied the team after a slow start.
Mike Tomlin hired Flores as an assistant in 2022 before the Vikings hired him in 2023. Flores valued learning from Tomlin, the former Minnesota defensive coordinator who has coached the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2007. He also developed his blitz-happy defense by watching Pat Narduzzi’s Pitt teams, which share a practice facility with the Steelers.
A year later, the Vikings hired Flores at a time when other teams may not have offered him an interview. O’Connell had built a friendship with Flores during their time in New England, and Minnesota’s ownership signed off on the hire.
Taking over for Ed Donatell, who ran a deep-coverage-focused Vic Fangio defense, Flores maximized Minnesota’s depleted defensive unit by lining up seven or eight players at the line and blitzing six or dropping eight into coverage. The Vikings shut out the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 14, but Zac Taylor solved it by using dagger concepts in Cincinnati a week later.
With money to spend on defense after Kirk Cousins departed in free agency last offseason, the Vikings signed Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Blake Cashman. Each played a vital role in Flores’ more sophisticated defense this year, and Minnesota’s defense carried them all season with a top-three DVOA. Flores has created one of the league’s best defenses by marrying his scouting and coaching ability.
Two years ago, nobody interviewed Flores for their head coaching vacancies. However, this year, the Chicago Bears, New York Jets, and Jacksonville Jaguars offered him an interview. Flores said he wanted to interview for the Patriots job, but they didn’t interview him and hired Mike Vrabel. Aaron Glenn turned down an offer to interview with New England, potentially because of how they handled the Rooney Rule.
Flores predicates his defense on aggression. He sends waves of defenders at the quarterback only to pull them into coverage when they least expect it, forcing turnovers. Flores builds his defense around his players, but it reflects his relentless personality and brilliant mind. He knows that some owners hold sham interviews to skirt the Rooney Rule, and he won’t take money to lose intentionally. He also coached Tagovalioa hard in a league where teams handle franchise quarterbacks carefully.
At first glance, it’s easy to look at Flores and assume he succeeds because of his toughness. That’s part of the equation but not the whole story. Teams that want Flores’ defense must be bold. They must understand a truth that hides behind his stocky 5’11” frame.
Flores is one of the league’s best coaches because he’s outsmarting everybody.
