Following the 2022–2023 NFL season, Brian Flores, the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, joined the team after head coach Kevin O’Connell fired previous defensive coordinator Ed Donatell. Flores was a Senior Defensive Assistant and Linebackers Coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers for one season before coming to the Vikings.
As a lengthy assistant for the New England Patriots in Minnesota, Flores immediately established his value. From 2019 to 21, he led the Miami Dolphins as head coach. The Vikings allowed an average of 388.7 yards per game under Donatell in 2022. The Vikings’ average yardage per game in 2023 was 333.2.
The defense did have some ups and downs throughout the previous season, but one thing is certain—under Flores, the defense performed far better. Flores carries some baggage while being one of the league’s greatest defensive coordinators. From the standpoint of NFL dynamics, anyway.
After Flores claimed he was the victim of racial discrimination, a federal judge in July of last year granted him the right to go to trial against the NFL and three teams—the Denver Broncos, New York Giants, and Houston Texans.
In March of last year, a judge decided that Flores had to take his complaint against the Miami Dolphins through arbitration. Flores deserves another opportunity to lead a team as head coach, notwithstanding the lawsuits. And when he chose to participate in the NFL’s Coach Accelerator Program, he unquestionably sent a message to the rest of the league that he still had every intention of being an NFL head coach.
The Coach Accelerator program began in 2022 and is meant to strengthen the pipeline of diverse candidates for front office and coaching positions. The event aims to introduce and familiarize candidates from diverse backgrounds with the league’s decision makers.
