Brian Flores Is a Legitimate Threat to Win an Award
In the last 24 hours, Brian Flores has signed an extension with the Minnesota Vikings, connecting him to the franchise for at least one more season and probably more — and he pulled down an award nomination. The defensive playcaller has been nominated for Assistant Coach of the Year.
The nomination reflects a defense that kept producing in 2025, while Flores’ name stayed hot in head-coach circles throughout the cycle.
Flores checked in second last year for the same award, bested by then Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who became the Chicago Bears head coach soon after.
Brian Flores Grabs Award Buzz
Flores gets much-deserved ACOTY consideration.
Flores Pulls Down Assistant Coach of the Year Nomination
It’s another shot at ACOTY for Flores.
Yahoo Sports‘ Andrew Harbaugh wrote Thursday, “On Wednesday, the Minnesota Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores agreed to a contract extension, despite him being in contention for several head coaching jobs. On Thursday, the prominent defensive mind earned another honor: AP Assistant Coach of the Year nominee.”
“The award nominees for the year were announced in totality on Thursday, Jan. 22, and Flores was among the five nominated for the award. He was joined by the following coaches: Vic Fangio, Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator, Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator, Klint Kubiak, Seattle Seahawks Offensive Coordinator, and Josh McDaniels, New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator.”
Vikings fans saw the Flores nomination and thought, “Damn right.”
His Defense Told the Story
Flores’s defense terrorized the NFL in 2024, and many wondered if the prosperity would continue. It did.
Here’s how the Vikings’ defense ranked in 2025:
- 1st in Pass Rush Win Rate
- 2nd in Yards Allowed
- 3rd in Defense DVOA
- 3rd in EPA/Play
- 4th in Defensive 3rd Down Conv%
- 7th in Points Allowed
Those are remarkable statistics, and viewed as a whole, it’s no wonder Flores is up for the award.
The Viking Age‘s Luke Norris noted on Flores, “Despite not having a single player selected to the Pro Bowl (that was on all units, by the way), the Vikings’ defense ranked first in the NFL in pressure rate, first in no-blitz pressure rate, second in passing yards allowed, surrendering only 158.5 per game, third in total yards allowed, surrendering just 282.6 per contest, and seventh in scoring, giving up only 19.6 points per week.”
“And during Minnesota’s five-game winning streak to close out the season, the numbers were even more impressive, as the Vikings surrendered just 224.4 total yards and 10.4 points per contest. So, again, Flores certainly has the qualifications to win this prestigious award.”
Staying in Minnesota
Meanwhile, Flores probably isn’t going anywhere. After 2.5 weeks of suspense, Flores signed an extension with the Vikings this week, and the only way he won’t be back is if the Pittsburgh Steelers hire him, which feels unlikely at the moment because Pittsburgh is reportedly closing on Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula.
Vikings fans spent months wondering if Flores would return for Year No. 4. That answer appears to be yes, so at the very least, the Vikings will remain a playoff contender in 2026, assuming the franchise formulates a competent quarterback plan this offseason.
Top Competition?
Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is the main contender to defeat Flores. Why? Well, he already won the same award from Pro Football Writers of America.
Broncos reporter Aric DiLalla wrote Thursday, “The Broncos’ defensive coordinator has been honored on a national stage. Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph was named the 2025 Pro Football Writers of America’s Assistant Coach of the Year, the PFWA announced Thursday.”
“Joseph is the second assistant coach in franchise history to earn the award since it was established in 1993, joining former defensive coordinator Wade Phillips in 2015. Under Joseph’s leadership, the Broncos allowed the third fewest points in the NFL while also leading the league in sacks for the second consecutive season.”
The Broncos’ defense checked in at eighth-best in 2025 per EPA/Play, and the group will take center stage this Sunday at home against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship.
DiLalla added, “Denver’s franchise-record 68 sacks was tied for the fifth most in NFL history. Joseph’s unit ranked first in red-zone defense, allowing teams to score touchdowns on just 42.6 percent of their trips inside the 20-yard line.”
“Denver did not allow a touchdown in five games this season, which set a new franchise mark. The Broncos also held opponents under 20 points on 10 occasions this year.”
McDaniels is also a strong consideration in New England, based on his ability to coach Drake Maye into an MVP frontrunner in just Maye’s second year of duty.
All NFL awards will be announced on February 5th.
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