Two More Brian Flores Interviews Emerge
The Minnesota Vikings’ offseason through 10 days is really just a Brian Flores-fueled soap opera. The in-demand defensive coordinator has garnered ample interest on the NFL coaching carousel, with two more destinations emerging this week for interviews: a lateral position with the Washington Commanders and the top job in Pittsburgh with the Steelers.
The list keeps growing, and the league’s interest is starting to look like a real push to pry Flores away.
The former was expected (PIT); the latter was not (WAS), and Flores could reasonably leave the Vikings this offseason.
Brian Flores’ Interview Tour Expands
The stars are aligning for Flores if he wishes to depart Minnesota.
Steelers to Interview Flores for HC
As expected, the Steelers’ head coach diligence — for the first time since 2007 — will include Flores.
NBC Sports‘ Myles Simmons wrote Wednesday, “There are now two more known candidates to replace Mike Tomlin as head coach of the Steelers, including one individual who is plenty familiar with the club. According to multiple reports, Pittsburgh has put in a request to interview Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores.”
“Flores, 44, spent the 2022 season with Pittsburgh as the club’s senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach before Minnesota hired him to be its defensive coordinator in 2023. By most accounts, Flores made a positive impact and was well-liked in his one season with the Steelers, making it unsurprising that the club would want to interview him after Tomlin’s departure. Flores has also interviewed with the Ravens.”
Flores served as the Steelers’ linebackers coach in 2022 after his unceremonious termination by the Miami Dolphins, and four years later, that relationship may cash in.
Commanders + Flores for DC
But that wasn’t all for the Flores news cycle on Wednesday.
SB Nation‘s Scott Jennings noted, “The Washington Commanders were hoping to interview Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator, and that is happening today. His contract is expiring, but Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has already said he’d like him back if he doesn’t get an opportunity to be a head coach again during this hiring cycle.”
“The Commanders could use someone of Flores’s coaching pedigree, but he is in high demand, and a lot of people expect him to stay in Minnesota.”
The Steelers interview was expected by, well, everybody. This one was not.
Pittsburgh Job Just Makes Too Much Sense
For three seasons in Minnesota, anytime reporters have asked Flores about leaving the organization, he a) gets rather sheepish about the idea, b) states the right opportunity would have to propel him to leave.
The Steelers’ head coaching post is the single-most stable job in all of American sports. Pittsburgh doesn’t fire head coaches; it’s had three in the last 56 years.
Couple that safety net with what the Steelers offer, the notion that the Steelers owner basically created the Rooney Rule, Flores’ wickedly impressive defensive resume in Minnesota, and his past relationship as a Steelers coach in 2022: this fit just makes all the sense in the world.
You should not be the least bit surprised if Pittsburgh announces Flores as its next head coach soon. The guy will probably stay there for over a decade and enjoy success along the way.
The Athletic‘s Jacob Robinson on the PIT-Flores fit: “This NFL coaching cycle has been a blitz of firings. No candidate is better versed in that chaos than Flores, the architect of a magical, terrorizing defense in Minnesota. He actually might be the ideal candidate, too. Flores checks all of that study’s boxes.”
“He’s in his 40s (44), has at least 11 years of NFL experience (22), was an assistant on a team that won at least 50 games over five years (2000s Patriots) and had only one previous head-coaching gig (Dolphins, with two winning seasons in three years). His tenure in Miami didn’t end well, but he’s since studied under Tomlin and Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, both lauded for positive cultures.”
Washington Interview Probably a Leverage Play
Conversely, interviewing with the Commanders is bizarre. Dan Quinn is the boss of that team, and he comes from a defensive background. It would be like Kevin O’Connell making a play for Dan Campbell down the road. It could work, in theory, but it just feels like a strange fit.
Secondarily, the Commanders have a defensive coordinator job for sale. That’s Flores’ job in Minnesota. He really wants to move laterally?
Then, just as the Steelers are the most sturdy franchise in sports, the Commanders might be the most chaotic and irreputable over the years. Flores will relax his “right opportunity” criterion to take the same job he has now with … the Commanders? It’s like a chef running the kitchen at Chili’s, but then deciding Taco Bell is a better spot.
In all likelihood, Flores is using the Commanders chat to drive up his price and prestige ahead of his next contract. He did not sign an extension during the offseason with the Vikings, and now interviewing with the Commanders suggests he’s maximizing his value as much as possible, a shrewd and smart move.
Flores may even interview for other teams’ open DC jobs.
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