Just after one of their preferred targets took a defensive coordinator job elsewhere, the Vikings have pivoted to their other finalist. Minnesota is hiring Brian Flores as their DC, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The team has since announced the move.
Flores, 41, had been on the radar for a number of positions in this year’s hiring cycle, including both coordinator and head coaching opportunities. One of the former was with the Vikings, who moved on from Ed Donatell following a disappointing 2022 season for his unit. The team’s search for his replacement led them to a relatively short list of candidates, including former Broncos DC Ejiro Evero. 
Minnesota was closely linked to Evero both before and after Denver let him out of his contract to move on to other opportunities. That opened the door to an interview with the Vikings, but the Panthers moved very quickly and hired him Sunday. That move was highly lauded for Frank Reich and his new staff in Charlotte, but it left Minnesota with only one of its two reported favorites available. It thus comes as little surprise that the next major coaching domino has fallen so soon after Evero found his new employer.
Flores spent 2022 as the Steelers’ linebackers coach and an experienced voice on Mike Tomlin‘s staff. Prior to that, he was the head coach of the Dolphins, a tenure which saw him help guide the team to consecutive winning seasons but be let go amidst tension with the front office. He is one of the plaintiffs in an ongoing lawsuit against the NFL and many of its teams alleging racial discrimination in its hiring practices.
After his one-year posting as a positional coach, the longtime Patriots staffer drew considerable interest this offseason, pointing to at least a coordinator position coming his way. Arizona — one of two teams yet to hire their new head coach in 2023 — had a second interview with Flores lined up for later this week, making him one of three finalists for that job. With his name now off that list, the Cardinals appear set to go with either Lou Anarumo or Mike Kafka as their next HC.
The Broncos, meanwhile, were said to be down to two finalists for Evero’s replacement after it was learned he would not be retained by new head coach Sean Payton. Flores was one of them, and Sean Desai the other. The latter should now be considered the favorite to join Payton in the Mile High city, as Flores prepares for the newest chapter of his coaching career.
The Vikings ranked near the bottom of the league in a number of defensive categories in 2022, including points and yards allowed (28th and 31st, respectively). Flores will thus face an uphill battle to lead the unit to an improved performance in 2023, though the team’s playoff berth under head coach Kevin O’Connell suggests even a small step forward could be enough to turn them into contenders.
Perhaps there’s more to come, but this doesn’t jive with reports of his being a finalist for the Cards head coaching job. Regardless, as a Steeler fan I say thank you, I feel like you could definitely see progress during this past season on defense and he was recognized by everyone in that sideline as a big part of it.
It’s possible the Vikings put the DC job offer on the table once Evero went to Carolina, and Flores was just informed some time today that he wasn’t getting or is now unlikely to get the Cardinals HC job, so he immediately pivoted and accepted the Vikings offer.
It could’ve happened very quickly.
Does PIT get draft pick compensation for this, or is that only when it’s a HC or GM position filled by the candidate?
They do not because Flores would have had to be with PIT for at least 2 seasons.
Why would Pitt get compensation? Flores was the LB coach with the Steelers to a promotion of DC to a new team. Doesn’t make much sense if the Vikings give compensation to the Steelers
Compensation for hiring minority coaches/executives
Which is stupid. Will not enhance minority hiring. Just a PR move
I think it is when a person is hired as HC or GM only.
San Fran got picks for assistants.
Because they became Head Coaches I guess
So will it be 3-4 or back to 4-3 for the ViQueens in 2023??
That’s my biggest question. Flores has worked with both fronts, and his major history was with New England, who ran a variety of different defensive alignments. My gut gives me the feeling that Flores will want to use a 4-3, and most of the Vikings’ contributors have a good amount of experience in that front. Still, there will be a transition period in changing to Flores’ preferred scheme, even though Minnesota only ran Donatell’s scheme for a year.
I would wager that, other than Z. Smith, Minnesota’s linemen are more comfortable in a 4-3. Smith is a good enough player, however, to be able to adapt. The crazy thing about Donatell is how badly that year went-he’s been a coach on some very good defenses with some very good coaches for decades. Perhaps Minnesota is just better suited to a 4-3 right now. Perhaps Donatell was just really that bad. I suppose we’ll see if they can rebound under Flores.
@Monkey’s Uncle: I’ll take that as high praise. I equate Steelers as tough as nails even when they’ve had failed former Vikings. Flores is in for a workout because he’ll have to shake the can to find half a defense to come into the program.
Who does Flores sue now?
Gonna go out on a limb and say the same three from before?
That’s RACIST
Thank goodness, the options were very bleak after him so I’m glad he didn’t get the Cards HC job. Now let’s see who they can add in the draft and free agency so we don’t have to see PP as the number 1 CB.
PP will play for $1 to get his pension.
Patrick Peterson, despite his age, was easily Minnesota’s best corner this past year. I’m not so sure that he will be able to replicate that performance, but he actually played well for the most this year. It’s easy to just say that he’s old and that you want him gone, but in reality he played at a high level in 2022.
If Flores switches to a scheme that he doesn’t play as well, or if his age overcomes his abilities, Peterson will of course not look as good next year. I won’t predict that Peterson will be good or bad in 2023-an age 33 corner is a hard player to predict-but he did outshine his fellows at that position in Minnesota last year.
My issue wasn’t his play, my issue was he was our Number 1 corner. I have no issue with him coming back, just not lining up against top receivers.
nobody wants to go to the donkeys they all know mahomes will run that division for the next 10 years
Insightful.
Unlike some, I’m not so sure of what he did with the Steelers. Watt was already a stud, Hightower a player on the rise and Jack was always a tackling machine. Spillane is a gamer but is still not a coverage guy, Robinson has a ways to go to live up to his potential and I won’t even bring up Bush
The defense progressed over the past 9 games, but they weren’t playing the better teams. Even so, I’ll give Austin the credit
Despite his end in Miami, I did think Flores brought the Dolphins a long way and I’m sure he’ll do a great job for the Vikings
I just tend to think too much sunshine is being cast on the Steelers, their coaches and players for their finish. I have optimism but it’s tempered by the reality that they’d better have a good draft and free agency period
So, does he find out he’s not getting the Cards job first and it just hasn’t been reported?
Or does MIN offer so much money for the DC job, he takes the bird in the hand before the Cards choose?
I tend to think it’s the former, but you never know.
I do kinda wonder if the Cardinals are nickel and diming coaching candidate. Especially since Kingsbury responded to his firing by booking a one way ticket to Thailand instead of seeking a job whose salary would offset what Bidwell owes him.
Well, there is also whatever bad juju that may have been left by the previous regime. Whether that dysfunction came from the GM, coach, or quarterback, or a combination of all (or the owners, which none of us would have known), there is likely some kind of hesitancy that potential candidates may have towards the Arizona job. Whatever happened, it didn’t end well, and I doubt that any of the major parties are on good terms. What’s more is that it’s not a clean break-Murray is still in Arizona, though the other two have left, and we’re not entirely certain how removed Keim actually is from the team. Minnesota is a rising team at the moment, and certainly has fewer issues than Arizona amongst its decision makers. Flores, whether he contributed or not, did have a dysfunctional situation in Miami.
Again, it is certainly possible that he contributed to that, but I highly doubt that he had a good experience there. I wouldn’t be surprised if he were loathe to repeat it. And there is also, of course, the matter of his lawsuit. If Flores or his lawyers think his being a HC may affect it, or ifthe ownership and/or head coach in Minnesota said “who cares, just do your job” as opposed to something less supportive by another team, that could have factored in. Unless Flores decides to tell us, I doubt we’ll know.
Flores was the dysfunction in Miami thats why they fired him. It’s all smooth sailing there now that he’s gone. He wasnt ready to be a HC, he caused a ton of friction even before he sued.
Next you’re going to claim he’s the one who tampered and cost them that draft pick.
Maybe Flores bailed from the HC interview as the AZ situation could end similar to his MIA gig. Dysfunction from the top and a QB he might not wanna work with gets any coach fired sooner than later.
I’m curious who’s in the running for Denver DC now Flores was top hire before this
Rough road ahead for him. Old , slow players and massive cuts coming for payroll limitations.
This is smart for Brian Flores, he’s not ready to be a HC. He did a crap job in Miami, losing record, no playoff appearances, caused a lot of friction even before he sued (Tua, Minkah, etc). He’s never been a coordinator before, only ever a positional coach before Miami brought him up too quickly. Maybe he matures here? I still think he made a pretty childish move ratting out Miami after he left, saying they were tanking and were tampering.
They were absolutely tanking his first year there, his only losing season as a head coach, when they traded Tunsil and Fitzpatrick.
Not a very good coach… The Steelers LB weren’t very good last year. Promotion doesn’t make sense.
Would have been great for Flores to become the Steelers DC with him as Tomlin’s eventual replacement at HC.