Brian Flores hasn’t been a head coach of an NFL team since he was fired by the Miami Dolphins in 2022. And while he has a job as the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator, he’d like to get back into coaching if the opportunity presents itself.
“For me personally, I think (being a head coach) is something that I would love to do again,” Flores said during his appearance on “The Adam Schefter Podcast.”
Flores, who spent 11 seasons with the New England Patriots, was fired by the Dolphins in a surprise move after just three seasons. Miami had two straight winnings seasons under Flores after going 5-11 in his first year at the helm.
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Flores filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and accused the Denver Broncos and the New York Giants of interviewing him only to fulfill the league’s Rooney Rule. There were also allegations of tampering in Miami in Flores’ lawsuit, which led to the Dolphins losing one of their 2023 first-round draft picks and a third-round pick in 2024.
The end of Flores’ tenure in Miami was messy, but he doesn’t see the experience as a negative one.
“I think a lot of people view the Miami experience as (if) I see it as all negative. I really don’t. I think it was a great experience for me and my family,” Flores said on Schefter’s podcast. “There’s so much that I learned during my time there that’s made me a much, much better coach today … Better in a lot of areas. And just in reflecting on that time, there’s things that obviously I would like to do better, but there’s also a lot of things that I would continue to implement.
“But it wasn’t all negative. Obviously, there was some things that I would have done better, but I thought it was a great experience and I’ve really, really come out of it in positive way and excited about where I am now,” he continued. “I really learned a lot from it.”
Flores has been with the Vikings since 2023. He spent the 2022 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach. It’s unclear how many teams will be looking for a new coach in 2025, though there could be a slew of openings after the New York Jets fired Robert Saleh and the New Orleans Saints fired Dennis Allen.
Mike McCarthy is also in his final year of his contract with Dallas Cowboys, who have struggled mightily this season and will only face an uphill climb after losing Dak Prescott for the season, while Matt Eberflus, Brian Daboll and Doug Pederson are among those who could be on the hot seat.
