Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores throughout his recreation in opposition to the New York Jets at Exhausting Rock Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021 in Miami Gardens.
For those who believed Brian Flores’ class-action lawsuit in opposition to the NFL would make him the Colin Kaepernick of coaches within the league and preserve him from touchdown one other job, he has already been held out of a head coach place within the first offseason cycle of adjustments since being fired by the Miami Dolphins.
The Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints employed Lovie Smith and Dennis Allen, respectively, on Monday. Smith and Allen had been promoted from defensive coordinator roles on their groups.
With the Dolphins naming Mike McDaniel their new coach on Sunday night, Monday’s two hires stuffed the NFL’s 9 head teaching vacancies this offseason. The Minnesota Vikings’ job is technically open, however they're reportedly hiring Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell, who can't formally be employed till after Sunday’s Tremendous Bowl.
On the time that Flores was fired on Jan. 10, it was broadly thought-about a shock. Many believed Flores, earlier than submitting the go well with, would simply land elsewhere as a head coach.
Flores’ lawsuit alleges widespread racial discrimination within the league’s hiring practices for prime teaching positions and within the retention of Black head coaches. In opposition to the Dolphins, particularly, Flores claimed within the lawsuit his relationship with proprietor Steve Ross started deteriorating throughout his first season on the helm in Miami when he refused to tank for a better draft decide or tamper with a quarterback earlier than his free company. Flores alleged that Ross provided him $100,000 per loss in 2019.
“To assault the integrity of the sport, that’s what I felt was taking place in that occasion, and I wouldn’t stand for it,” Flores informed CBS final week. “I believe it harm my standing inside the group and, in the end was the rationale why I used to be let go.”
Flores, who's Black and the son of Honduran immigrants, was a finalist for the Saints and Texans head roles. Interviewing with the groups final week, he made them conscious he was submitting the lawsuit, which grew to become public final Tuesday night.
Flores stated within the lawsuit that he understood transferring ahead with it could have an effect on his probabilities of touchdown a kind of jobs.
“I like teaching and need to coach,” he stated on CBS. “That is greater than teaching. That is a lot greater than teaching.”
In Flores’ lawsuit, he additionally claims the New York Giants had already determined to rent former Buffalo Payments offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who's white, by the point he interviewed. He had screenshots of a textual content thread with New England Patriots coach Invoice Belichick, who had each Flores and Daboll beneath him beforehand as assistants, mistakenly congratulating the incorrect Brian.
Flores additionally named the Denver Broncos within the go well with for having group representatives present up late and “matted” for an interview in 2019 when the job in Denver in the end went to Vic Fangio, who's white, whereas Flores initially landed in Miami.
The Dolphins, Giants and Broncos all denied the allegations made in opposition to their organizations.
Ross fired again, saying Flores’ claims are “false, malicious and defamatory.” Flores stated he has witnesses that may again up the allegations, and the NFL introduced it is going to examine the matter.
The Giants launched a press release saying it was “irresponsible” to base Flores’ declare in opposition to their hiring follow off a textual content message thread with Belichick, who doesn't work for the Giants.
Broncos president of soccer operations John Elway, the Corridor of Fame quarterback, denied the accusations and stated he was absolutely ready and engaged through the 2019 interview with Flores.
Flores went 24-25 in three seasons as Dolphins coach however had accomplished back-to-back successful seasons in 2020 and 2021 earlier than the franchise parted methods with him.
With McDaniel now in place for the Dolphins, presumably revamping the group’s offensive teaching workers, it ought to now be simpler to retain defensive assistants with Flores not getting one other head job elsewhere. Miami can be anticipated to pursue Fangio as defensive coordinator.