One Team Exits the Brian Flores Sweepstakes
It won’t be the New England Patriots.
One Team Exits the Brian Flores Sweepstakes
That organization hired former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and introduced the new skipper this week.
While the Patriots never interviewed Flores, the Vikings defensive coordinator stated last week that New England would be his preferred destination — if that franchise were interested.
It was not.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets are still in line to chat with Flores about their head coaching vacancies, so the Vikings’ defensive architect still has skin in the game, unlike the 2024 head coaching carousel. Flores turned Minnesota’s defense around in a hurry, and many believed he’d nab some interviews at this time last year. No cigar.
“I would say yes,” Flores replied to reporters last week when asked if he’d take an interview for New England’s top gig. The Patriots somewhat unexpectedly fired first-year skipper Jerod Mayo last Monday, a former coworker of Flores’.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted about those Flores comments, “Brian Flores is gracefully taking a lot of questions about his head coach prospects. He said he will take every interview that is requested. Asked if he is interested in the Patriots job, he said: ‘I would say yes.’ But he added ‘it’s not up to me’ if they want to talk.”
The Patriots connection? Flores spent 15 seasons in New England as a coach and scout, winning four Super Bowl titles. Flores actually almost doubled Vrabel’s time in New England as a player, though Flores was always a coach and scout. If New England wanted a homegrown commodity not named Vrabel, Flores could’ve been the guy. But it simply wasn’t interested.
Flores told ESPN’s Adam Schefter in November that he would love to head coach again. “Now, I may get some resistance from my kids, who are having a great time here in Minnesota. They’re having a fantastic time here just with school, and basketball, and football, and friendships and things like that. I think I’d get a little resistance, but for me personally, it’s something that I’d love to do again. With that said, Minnesota has been a great spot for me. My family, we’re really enjoying it,” Flores said.
It’s also worth noting that Flores said his would-be promotion must be “the right opportunity.”
The Dallas Cowboys, too, entered the coaching carousel on Monday, opting not to re-up with Mike McCarthy, who will now become a “coach free agent” of sorts.
It’s unclear if Dallas will have an interest in Flores.
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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.
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