4 Defensive Coordinator Options for Vikings if Brian Flores Leaves

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores may or may not leave the purple team in the coming weeks.

4 Defensive Coordinator Options for Vikings if Brian Flores Leaves

Flores is currently scheduled to interview with the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets about their vacant head coaching gigs.

So, if Flores departs, which is a reasonable possibility, these are the four notable replacement options, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = most likely target).

4. Daronte Jones

brian flores
Minnesota Vikings defensive passing game coordinator Daronte Jones. Picture taken at Louisiana State University on April 1st, 2021. Jones coached on Mike Zimmer’s Vikings staff in 2020, went to LSU as defensive coordinator, and ended up with the Vikings again in 2022 under head coach Kevin O’Connell.

Connection to the Vikings:
Current Defensive Passing Game Coordinator

Jones has been attached to the Vikings for four seasons, beginning in 2020 when Mike Zimmer still ran the ship. He scooted to LSU for a season and returned at the dawn of the Kevin O’Connell era.

If Minnesota prefers an internal candidate — it’s quite possible — Jones is the guy, partnering with Flores for the last two seasons.

More than anyone, Jones knows the Flores system.

3. Robert Saleh

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.

Connection to the Vikings:
San Francisco 49ers Linebackers Coach while Kwesi Adofo-Mensah worked in 49ers’ Front Office

The Vikings beat the New York Jets in London three months ago, and the Jets canned Saleh immediately after. He latched onto the Green Bay Packers as a consultant — yuck, right? — but he probably wants a more important job than that.

Well, Adofo-Mensah should know Saleh quite well from the San Francisco days, creating the possible Flores replacement angle.

2. Jerod Mayo

Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports.

Connection to the Vikings:
Teammates with Kevin O’Connell in New England

Mayo lasted one season in New England before the Patriots fired him and later hired Mike Vrabel.

Like Saleh above, Mayo will seek a new job soon, and why not the defensive coordinator in Minnesota if Flores skedaddles? The ex-Patriots skipper also served as a linebackers coach for five years before taking the big job in New England.

Fun fact: O’Connell and Mayo entered the NFL via the same team and draft in 2008. They should know each other well.

1. Brandon Staley

Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images.

Connection to the Vikings:
Defensive Coordinator of the 2020 Los Angeles Rams

This former co-worker of Kevin O’Connell is the assistant head coach in San Francisco. Running Minnesota’s defense if Flores dips would represent a promotion.

O’Connell and Staley paired for a season in Los Angeles. Staley took a head coaching job in Los Angeles (Chargers) the year before O’Connell in Minnesota.

Fans wouldn’t universally love Staley in Minnesota because of his reputation from Los Angeles, but the guy can coach a defense. The Rams’ defense, under Staley, ranked No. 1 in the NFL per EPA/Play in 2020.


Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.