Vikings Hiring Brian Flores as Defensive Coordinator
The Vikings got their guy.
Steelers senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach Brian Flores, the former head coach of the Dolphins for three years, has accepted Minnesota's defensive coordinator position, per ESPN's Adam Schefter and other reports. Flores was set to interview on Tuesday for the Broncos' DC opening and on Wednesday for the Cardinals' head coach job, but those are now off. He's joining Kevin O'Connell's Vikings staff.
This is a massive hire for O'Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Flores, 41, spent last season in a slightly smaller role with Pittsburgh, but he's regarded as one of the better defensive coaches in the NFL. He'll get to run his own defense again in Minnesota — and will look to turn around a unit that finished 31st in yards allowed, tied for 30th in points allowed, and 27th in DVOA.
The Vikings' defense will look quite different in 2023. Ed Donatell ran a Fangio-style defense that mostly sat back in zone coverage and rushed four. Flores, based on his Miami tenure, is going to run more man coverage and send pressure at the quarterback. That presumably means finding upgrades in the secondary will be a big part of the Vikings' offseason plan going forward.
Here's a look at Flores' background:
Flores played linebacker at Boston College, then spent four years in the Patriots' scouting department to begin his post-playing career. In 2008, he switched over to the coaching side with the Patriots, becoming a special teams assistant. Flores spent 11 total seasons on Bill Belichick's staff, eventually coaching safeties and then linebackers. That means he was on the staff when O'Connell spent 16 months as a New England player from 2008-09.
In 2019, the Dolphins hired Flores as their head coach. During his first season in Miami, Flores' team started 0-7 but went 5-4 down the stretch. They ranked dead last in defensive DVOA. The next year, in 2020, the Dolphins went 10-6 and shot up to 11th in defensive DVOA. They missed the playoffs by one game, but Flores still finished third in coach of the year voting after an impressive turnaround. The 2021 team started 1-7, but won eight of its last nine to finish 9-8. They ranked 10th in defensive DVOA.
Flores was fired after the season. The Dolphins, due to impermissible communication with Sean Payton and Tom Brady, ended up being fined $1.5 million and forfeiting two draft picks, including their 2023 first-rounder. Flores filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL alleging racial discrimination after his firing. There were texts from Belichick congratulating Brian Daboll on being hired by the Giants before Flores was even interviewed, and allegations from Flores that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross pressured him to intentionally lose games. It was all a bit of a mess, and Flores deserved a better ending.
Again, this is huge news for the Vikings. Flores has technically never been a defensive coordinator before, but he ran the Dolphins' defense for three seasons. By all accounts, he's a no-nonsense leader who builds strong relationships with players and holds them to a high standard.
More to come on this hire.
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