Brian Flores Opens Up about Head Coach Pursuit, Possibly Leaving Vikings
Brian Flores is among the 32 best football coaches in the NFL. As a result, it would make a ton of sense if he soon becomes a head coach yet again.
The most recent offseason featured the defensive coordinator getting the chance to interview at a few spots. In each instance, the franchise opted to go in a different direction. The aggressive tactician is thus moving into his third season leading the Vikings’ defense, a spot that he enjoys while nevertheless being open in the past about his head coach ambitions.
Brian Flores & The Head Coach Pursuit
The topic came up during the week when Mr. Flores chatted with the media.
“I thought that process was great,” Flores reflects when asked about his opportunities to interview. “Being able to sit in that interview setting and have a conversation for that role is just obviously an honor. Those jobs went to guys who were certainty deserved. It was good, it was a great experience.”
Shortly thereafter, Brian Flores explains that he really enjoys being employed in Minnesota: “I’m also very happy to be right where I am.” Flores then suggests that he’s “excited” about his defense and he’s “very happy where my feet are.” By definition, becoming a head coach means leaving the Vikings behind, but it’s good to remember that he enjoys being the DC for the Vikings.
In his answer, the coach was all class. He expresses appreciation for the chance to interview and tips the cap to the coaches who were picked. As a competitor, losing out on a coveted job opportunity stings, but Flores took the high road.
Next up, do note that Flores is happy to be a Vikings coach. The sense one gets is that he has a ton of autonomy over his side of the ball. Highly competent people don’t like to be micromanaged in the workplace. Very reasonably, Kevin O’Connell understands that he has a brilliant coordinator so the head coach seems quite willing to let the DC do his thing.
Since Flores got hired, Vikings fans have often been a mixture of thrilled and anxious. Sure, he’s a great coach who is going to improve the defense, but for how long? Sooner or later, a team is going to scoop up the defensive coordinator due to his football acumen alongside his leadership skills.
That eventuality hasn’t arrived yet. Instead, Brian Flores is moving into his third season leading the Vikings’ defense. He showed quick improvement in 2023 despite having just okay talent, finishing up that year at 13th in the NFL by allowing an average of 21.3 points against per game. His second season went quite a bit better, pushing the Vikings’ defense up to 5th by allowing an average of just 19.5 points against per game.
The current offseason has generated plenty of optimism about where Brian Flores can take things in 2025. Tossing Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen into the mix means that the defensive tackle spot may no longer be a weak spot for the pass rush. The DC should therefore be capable of sending just four pass rushers while still expecting to disrupt the quarterback.
If successful, the Flores defense will become even more unpredictable, much to the chagrin of offensive coordinators everywhere.
Brian Flores, 44, has done a bit of everything in his NFL journey. He was with the Patriots for a long time, picking up work as a scout, on special teams, offense, and defense along the way. He was Miami’s head coach before a controversial split and then worked with Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh.
The NFL has been unwise by avoiding Brian Flores for head coach openings. Minnesota benefits accordingly.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
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