If there is one hiring that Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell should be happy with, it's bringing in defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
The impact of Flores being in Minnesota has been felt by the whole defense and the franchise over the last two years. At this rate, it might be tough for the Vikings to hold onto him with head coaching jobs opening after the 2025 season.
Bleacher Report writer Moe Moton named eight coordinators who will be targeted as head coach candidates in 2026. Flores' name was brought up despite his past issues as a head coach, which occurred when he was with the Miami Dolphins.
"For three consecutive years between 2020 and 2022, the Vikings finished 24th or worse in points and yards allowed. In Flores' first year with the team, the defense finished in the top half of the league for both categories. Last year, it ranked fifth in points allowed and tied the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most takeaways (33).
Flores also fielded a top-six scoring defense with the Miami Dolphins during his tenure as their head coach from 2019 to 2021. A former Bill Belichick assistant, Flores has a strong track record on his side of the ball.
However, Flores has dealt with unfavorable criticism from his former players in Miami, particularly now-retired quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, regarding his relationship with players, which is a common concern among former assistants from Belichick's coaching tree.
Flores had a rocky relationship with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, which is something he will likely have to address in interviews. However, he's a solid coach in terms of X's and O's."
The Minnesota Vikings might lose Flores after the 2025 season (and that's okay)
A small price to pay for being a successful football team is losing some of its top talent. Flores is a prime example of how dominant a defensive coordinator he is, but he really should be leading another franchise.
Flores proved how good he was with the Dolphins, as after a bad 5-11 first season in 2019, Miami went 19-14 the next two seasons with winning records.
The problem in Miami was that there was a culture that Flores needed to build with his vision, and the players on the team didn't mesh with it. That whole situation with the Dolphins was a mess, and Flores has since apologized for how he worked with Tagovailoa, but landed in the best possible team to rebuild his resume.
Minnesota's defense has been excellent under Flores and shows no signs of slowing down. He's got a chance to prove his worth as the defense will be called on to help as the offense transitions with quarterback J.J. McCarthy in his first year as the starter.
Another winning season with a top 15 defensive performance, and Flores could finally get his second chance at being the head coach and fulfill his true potential.
That thought seems scary as the Vikings lose a truly remarkable piece to this team, but it's not all bad. It only means the team was doing something right. O'Connell has proven to hire the right coaches in place so that he will find the right replacement for Flores.
With that being said, the Minnesota Vikings need to focus first on winning games in 2025 and getting back in the postseason before having these hypothetical conversations.