Scott Logush
Sports Editor
The Minnesota Vikings are hiring former Miami Dolphins head coach and Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers coach and senior defensive assistant Brian Flores as their new defensive coordinator, per Ian Rapoport.
Flores received interest from the Broncos for their defensive coordinator job and from the Arizona Cardinals for their head coach position. Ultimately he chose to go to Minnesota and will be working with some great players in Harrison Smith, Za’Darius Smith, Eric Kendricks, and Danielle Hunter. Flores was one of the most overqualified position coaches last season, and now returns to a coordinator spot as he deserves.
The 41-year-old coach began his NFL career with the New England Patriots as a scouting assistant in 2004 and 2005, before being promoted to a top scout in 2006 and 2007. He began as a coach in 2008 as a special teams assistant. He was with the Patriots through the 2018 season, where his roles ranged from offensive and defensive assistants, to position coaches and even as their special teams coach before being hired by the Miami Dolphins in 2019 as their head coach, a job he had through the 2021 season.
As a head coach, Flores put together a 24 and 25 record, including the well-known “Tank for Tua” year. During Flores time in Miami, the defenses were very good but the offenses led a lot to be desired. The constant changes in their starter, pulling Tua late in games, it was dysfunctional, to say the least. Flores finished without a playoff birth before being fired. Now he gets his chance to run the Minnesota defense the way he sees fit.
