After transforming the Minnesota Vikings defense in 2023, Brian Flores hasn't been interviewed for any of the current head coaching job openings around the NFL this year.
Typically, after someone is able to completely turnaround the performance of an offensive or defensive unit like Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores was able to do during the 2023 season, they end up landing a few interviews for some of the head coach openings around the NFL during the following offseason.
For Flores, however, this hasn't been the case.
A total of eight teams around the league parted with their head coaches either during the 2023 campaign or shortly after the 2023 season, and not a single team has put in a request to interview Flores for one of these vacancies.
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores being punished for taking a stand against the NFL
Since the conclusion of the 2023 regular season, guys like 64-year-old former Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier and former Stanford head coach David Shaw have been interviewed for at least one of the head coach openings around the NFL, yet Flores can't get an interview.
In 2022, Minnesota's defense finished 27th in the league in points allowed per defensive drive, 31st in total yards allowed, 30th in net passing yards allowed per attempt, 22nd in rushing yards allowed per carry, 26th in first downs allowed, and 23rd in quarterback pressures generated per dropback.
Under Flores in 2023, these rankings improved to 18th in points allowed per defensive drive, 16th in total yards allowed, 15th in net passing yards allowed per attempt, fourth in rushing yards allowed per attempt, 16th in first downs allowed, and 15th in quarterback pressures generated per dropback.
There were just significant improvements all around for a Vikings defense that didn't even feature a single player who was voted to the 2024 Pro Bowl Games or earned a First-Team All-Pro selection this season.
With the job that Flores was able to do in Minnesota in 2023, combined with his past experience as a head coach from his time with the Miami Dolphins, many assumed he was going to, at the very least, get some interview opportunities for a few of the head coach vacancies around the league.
But still, no formal interview requests have been made for Flores this offseason, and there seems to be an obvious reason why.
After he was fired by the Dolphins in the 2022 offseason, Minnesota's current defensive coordinator decided to file a lawsuit against the NFL, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, and Miami for racial discrimination.
The lawsuit still has not been settled, so it wouldn't be surprising to find out that some of the owners around the league don't want to even consider hiring him until his case against the NFL is closed.
If not for his lawsuit, then Flores might be one of the top candidates to become a head coach again this year.
It's disappointing that he hasn't even been given one interview for a head coach opening this year, but unfortunately, it's also not surprising.