Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores spent this past season as an assistant under Mike Tomlin with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Flores, 41, was surprisingly fired by the Dolphins following a 9-8 performance back in 2021. Said move acted as a precursor to the highly-respected coach filing a class-action suit against the Dolphins, the NFL and its 31 other teams last year. Flores and others claim racial discrimination in the interview process for coaches and front office personnel.
Despite this, Flores could very well be in line for a promotion. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, he’s set to interview for the Cleveland Browns’ vacant defensive coordinator job.
Cleveland fired defensive coordinator Joe Woods after a disappointing 2022 season for the assistant and his team. The Browns’ defense finished 20th in points allowed and 14th overall en route to the team finishing with a 7-10 record.
Brian Flores as a fit for the Cleveland Browns
Prior to his three-year run as the Dolphins’ head coach, Flores worked as a defensive assistant for Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots from 2004-2018. That span saw him take on several roles, including coaching their safeties and linebackers.
Flores did do play-calling with the Patriots on a part-time basis during his time in New England, but was not the full-time play-caller. That changed in Miami with the Dolphins finishing sixth in points allowed during the 2020 season.
- Brian Flores coaching record: 24-25, .490 winning percentage
That 2020 campaign saw the Dolphins win double-digit games for the first time since 2016 and just the second time over the past 12 years.
In Pittsburgh, Brian Flores worked with an elite-level linebacker group that features Devin Bush and Myles Jack. If he does indeed take over as the Browns’ defensive coordinator, Flores will lead a group headlined by Pro Bowlers Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward.
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