Brian Flores receiving interest as potential DC one year after start of Dolphins saga

It was reported Monday that the Browns have also requested permission to interview New England Patriots inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo and Seattle Seahawks associate head coach Sean Desai for the gig. 

Cleveland relieved Joe Woods of his duties as the defensive coordinator on Monday.

Flores spent the 2022 season in Pittsburgh, after spending three years as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2021, going 24-25 and failing to make the playoffs in each season. Despite no playoff berths during his tenure, Flores went 19-14 over his final two campaigns in South Beach and seemed to be turning the franchise around when the team finished 2021 by winning eight of their final nine games.

The former Boston College defensive back was fired in January 2021, and in early February he filed a class-action lawsuit against the league -- as well as the Dolphins, Denver Broncos, and New York Giants -- alleging racial discrimination in the NFL's treatment of minority coaches and executives. The lawsuit also alleged that while he served as the Dolphins head coach, owner Stephen Ross pressured him to lose games on purpose -- offering $100,000 for each contest he lost -- so that the team could get better draft picks.

Despite the ongoing lawsuit, Flores was hired by the Steelers as their senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach in mid-February. Although All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt missed seven games during the 2022 regular season due to injury, Pittsburgh was a respectable 13th in the NFL in total yards allowed per game (330.4), while finishing ninth against the run (108.1 yards per game) and tied for 10th in points allowed per game (20.4).

Flores spent 15 seasons as an assistant with New England from 2004 to 2018 before joining Miami, holding roles such as special teams assistant, safeties coach, and linebackers coach.