Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O'Connell at a Minnesota Timberwolves game in 2022.
The Minnesota Vikings will have a new defensive coordinator for the 2023 season, parting ways with 2022 defensive bossman Ed Donatell last week. Minnesota’s defense couldn’t hinder the New York Giants offense in the playoffs, the group wasn’t very productive in the regular season, and a new man or woman will lead the unit within a couple of weeks.
And left up to Vikings fans, the choice is clear — the people want former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores as Minnesota’s next defensive coordinator.
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Ian Rapoport tweeted last weekend, “The Vikings have requested permission to speak with Steelers senior defensive assistant and LBs coach Brian Flores for their newly vacant DC job, source said. Coach Kevin O’Connell and Flores overlapped in New England for a year.”
Flores’ candidacy for the defensive coordinator job is especially exciting because he was the first man mentioned by the franchise as a replacement for Donatell. Until last Saturday, most Vikings enthusiasts lived in two days of “who’s it gonna be?” Then, the Flores’ interview news hit, and almost in unison, Vikings fans rejoiced.
We polled Vikings loyalists on Twitter this week to gauge the temperature of public opinion, and Flores is the overwhelming favorite of fans. A whopping 86.1% of fans want Flores in the saddle directing traffic for the Vikings defense in September.
Flores last coached for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022, serving as the team’s linebackers coach and senior defensive assistant.
Last year around this time, Flores was fired by the Dolphins, who apparently wanted to be done with Flores and move on to an offense-first head coach in Mike McDaniel. The termination was odd because Flores had restored the Dolphins to respectability, were trending in the right direction, and even beat the New England Patriots in the final game of 2021.
Flores then interviewed for the New York Giants head job. Brian Daboll was chosen instead, leading some to believe Flores was a “token interview” to placate the Rooney Rule. Flores sued the NFL accordingly. It’s also been speculated that the Dolphins asked Flores to “tank,” a strategy he rebuked.
Here’s the tale of the tape for Flores’ defenses:
Brian Flores,
as Miami HC,
Defense NFL Ranking:
DVOA —
2019 = 32nd
2020 = 11th
2021 = 10th
EPA/Play —
2019 = 32nd
2020 = 7th
2021 = 8th
Flores spent 11 seasons in the Bill Belichick system with the Patriots before jumping to the big job in Miami.
Twitter user SkolTheUS tweeted in response to the poll about Flores, “I want Flores. I’d he leaves after a year then we’d get, what, two 3rds? Fine with me! He’ll turn things around no matter what. Would be happy with Desai too!”
Noey or goodandcorrect on Twitter opined, “Flores would definitely only be here for one year but I think KOC would learn a lot from him in that time!”
Flores will turn 42 next month. Five hundred thirty-four people responded to the unscientific Twitter poll.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.