Brian Flores told reporters on Tuesday that he plans to take every head coaching interview that comes his way. At the time, it was reported that the New York Jets and Chicago Bears had requested interviews with him. He now has another interview awaiting.
The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that they have requested an interview with the Vikings’ defensive coordinator. Doug Pederson was fired on Monday after spending three years as the Jaguars’ head coach.
Flores is one of the most intriguing candidates in the head coaching cycle. He has transformed the Vikings’ defense into one of the league’s best in two years and complements Kevin O’Connell’s aggressiveness on offense.
But he’s currently in the middle of a discrimination lawsuit against the NFL that stemmed from his time as the Miami Dolphins head coach from 2019-2021, as well as interviews in 2022 with the Denver Broncos and New York Giants.
He must also show he has grown since his time as Miami’s head coach. Tua Tagovailoa called Flores a “terrible human being” in August, raising questions about Flores’ ability to work with the sport’s most important position. Has his time around O’Connell helped him evolve in culture- and relationship-building?
Still, this is progress for Flores. He didn’t receive a single interview in the 2024 off-season after improving the Vikings’ defense from the 31st-ranked unit in 2022 to the 16th-ranked unit in his first year as defensive coordinator. He has many hurdles to clear, but his success can’t be ignored.