Retired Vikings Coach Sounds Off on Brian Flores
Brian Flores has been a controversial figure in the NFL world and his past always pops up in January when it’s time to find the right fits for the head coaching openings. Comments from former players and colleagues aren’t particularly helping him look better. This time, recently retired assistant Vikings head coach Mike Pettine raised eyebrows.
Pettine appeared on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show and as Cleveland is one of the franchises without a head coach, they asked him about his opinion on the guys he worked with. First, he had nothing but praise for Grant Udinski, Minnesota’s assistant QB coach in 2024, who has landed an interview with the Browns.
Then, the focus shifted to Flores. Asked about his thoughts on the defensive mind, he responded, “Probably not many that I would prefer to share. I mean, we didn’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things and that’s why I spent this past year on offense. I was there in 23 and 24 on defense. I’ll take the high road on that one.”
Pettine retired after four seasons with the Vikings. Flores would enter his fourth with the club if he can’t convince another franchise to give him a promotion. At this point, the Baltimore Ravens have found their new skipper; the Steelers, for whom he also interviewed, are still pondering their options.
Last year, he missed out on all three jobs he interviewed for. His defense is performing, but head-coaching jobs are about culture just as much. His first opportunity was in Miami. He coached a rebuilding team to some respectable records, though he failed to take them to the postseason. After three years, he was fired, leaving bad blood with the Dolphins’ owner, Stephen Ross, but also with Tua Tagovailoa.
Over the years, several former Dolphins figures have publicly criticized Flores. Perhaps the most notable was Ryan Fitzpatrick, his former quarterback in Miami, who said last January:
“I think he’s gonna have a really hard time. I think in the interviews he’ll be likable, he’ll be relatable, but when people say, ‘give me somebody from Miami that coached under you as a reference, so we can talk to them,’ I think he burnt a lot of bridges there, I think he alienated himself from the entire staff instead of having the humility to ask questions, to collaborate. By the end of his time there he became a dictator. He ruined a lot of those relationships that he built up through the NFL and his ego grew so big that there wasn’t any room for anyone else, and so that was why he got released at the end of his tenure in Miami.”
Well, it doesn’t seem as if Flores can count on Pettine’s recommendation.
It’s, of course, impossible to know from the outside whether Pettine or Flores was in the wrong. Furthermore, it’s not uncommon for coaches to have disagreements.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert commented about the surfaced controversy: “Fact: It’s not unusual for good coaches to have fundamental disagreements with each other. Informed opinion: Some coaches run into more disagreements than others.”
What we do know is that the Vikings gave Flores a contract extension this week, making sure he’ll only depart if he lands a head coaching job elsewhere. Five of those are still open, but only the Steelers seem interested.
“There’s a lot of talk about my personal situation, and next year,” Flores said in the final week of the regular season. “Look, I’ve said this many times. I’ve loved my time here in Minnesota. My family loves it. The state of Minnesota has been tremendous to me. I know [Kevin O’Connell] mentioned there has been great dialogue, and there has. I said this many times, I’ve loved my time here in Minnesota.”
For now, Minnesota seems comfortable living with whatever outside noise comes with Flores’ reputation. The Vikings believe in the results, the players continue to back him, and the contract extension signals organizational confidence.
Whether his blunt leadership style limits future head coaching opportunities remains an open question, but inside the Twin Cities, the priority is simple: keep the defense elite.
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