Based on his resume alone, Brian Flores figures to be a top head coaching candidate this offseason. The Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator led a unit that led the NFL in takeaways, allowed the fifth-fewest points, ranked in the top 15 in passing defense, and the top five in rushing defense.
That alone should earn him consideration. Yet, this coach comes with many strings attached, stemming from a departure from his three-year tenure as the Miami Dolphins head coach.
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Brian Flores ‘burned a lot of bridges’ in previous NFL jobs
There are six current head coaching vacancies around the NFL. Brian Flores doesn’t have an interview set with any of the teams searching for a head coach.
Recently, Ryan Fitzpatrick, one of Flores’ former NFL players, who now works in the media world, explained why he thinks his former coach will have a “really hard time” during the interview process. One of the reasons for this was Flores reportedly “burning a lot of bridges” after the Dolphins moved on.
Ryan Fitzpatrick had some tough words and a warning for team’s interested in his former HC Brian Flores.
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) January 8, 2025
🏈 Flores has been a “hot name” of late and had success in PIT and MIN as an assistant/coordinator, so people have forgotten how badly it ended in Miami.
🏈 Started off… pic.twitter.com/llgAk6wVMZ
However, it’s not like Fitzpatrick didn’t have positive things to say. He remains a very big supporter of Coach Flores, and he wanted to make sure no one took his comments completely out of context. In summation, he believes Flores has learned a lot from his previous experiences. Whether NFL front offices agree remains to be seen.
Would love for anyone interested to listen to the whole conversation that Whit and I had
— Ryan Fitzpatrick (@FitzMagic_14) January 8, 2025
I really like Brian Flores and consider him a friend….the end in Miami wasn’t pretty but I think he has grown and can look back on his tenure in Miami knowing he wasn’t perfect and has…
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