Vikings-Lions game will impact head coach interview process for Brian Flores

Flores is considered to be one of the top head coaching candidates this cycle.

Oct 15, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores watches his team play against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images / Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is widely considered one of the top head coach candidates in the upcoming cycle. Sunday's result against the Lions will have an impact on how the interview process proceeds.

According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the winning team's staff from Sunday's Vikings-Lions game will be cleared to interview for other jobs three days after the game, but coaches from the losing team will have to wait until at least three days after next weekend's wild-card games conclude.

Flores joins Lions assistants Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn as "three of the top head coaching candidates in the upcoming hiring cycle," according to Schefter.

Per @AdamSchefter, @Vikings DC Brian Flores is considered one of the three “top HC candidates in the upcoming hiring cycle across league circles”.

Schefter also noted that the “NFL is not even allowing in-person interviews until after [the divisional] round is completed”. pic.twitter.com/7BE3idiAYO

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) January 4, 2025

The interviews after the regular season are only allowed to be virtual and the NFL is not allowing in-person interviews until after the divisional round, according to Schefter. The winning staff of Sunday's game will be allowed to do virtual interviews as soon as Wednesday, but they will need to be completed before the wild-card round begins next weekend.

The losing staff will be able to do virtual interviews three days after their wild-card game and they must be done before the end of the divisional round. In-person interviews can begin on Jan. 20, after the divisional round for coaches who have finished their seasons. Second interviews are not allowed to take place until Jan. 27, which is the week between conference championship Sunday and the Super Bowl.

The Vikings defense has become a dominant unit under Flores and he's still only 43 years old, making him a prime candidate for his first head coaching gig since his acrimonious departure from the Miami Dolphins.

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