The Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores took his time on Tuesday to respond to some intense accusations that were made by his former quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Tua went off on Flores calling him a ‘terrible person’ for how he treated the young quarterback daily.
Miami Dolphins Star Tua Tagovailoa Slams Former Head Coach
Now, the former head coach Flores, took time in a press conference to respond to the comments made on him. Tua was candid about how he feels about Flores to this day in a recent podcast interview:
“To put it in simplest terms,” Tagovailoa said, “if you woke up every morning, and I told you that you suck at what you did, that you don’t belong doing what you do, that you shouldn’t be here, that this guy should be here, that you haven’t earned this right …
“And then you have somebody else (new coach Mike McDaniel) come in and tell you, ‘Dude, you are the best fit for this. You are accurate, you are the best whatever, you are this, you are that.’ How would that make you feel, listening to one or the other? You see what I’m saying?”
“If you woke up every morning and I told you that you suck at what you did, that you don’t belong, that you shouldn’t be here, that you haven’t earned this…
and then someone come and tells you, ‘You are the best fit for this…How you that make you feel?”
– @Tua describes the… pic.twitter.com/bBHI6IsVlj
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) August 19, 2024
Flores was affected deeply by Tua’s comments and he had a lengthy response to the criticism. Specifically, he said that these comments hit him hard and he has had to grow in his time in his career as a coach.
Minnesota Vikings’ Brain Flores Gives Lengthy Response
Flores had a lengthy press conference to address what Tua said about him. He was candid in his responses and it seems like he took this criticism to heart. Flores was impacted deeply by these comments:
“I just want to say, look, I’m genuinely happy, genuinely happy for the success that Tua’s had, and I really wish him nothing but the best,” Flores said at the start of his scheduled Tuesday news conference.
“I think player relationships are very important to me. I think that’s kind of the foundation of coaching. I got into coaching because I was impacted as a young guy by my high school coaches, my college coaches, going all the way to Pop Warner. I got into coaching because I wanted to make that same kind of impact — positive impact — pour into young people, help them become the best versions of themselves. That’s really my goal always in coaching. So, I wish nothing but the best to Tua.”
Flores specifically showed vulnerability in his media session when he admitted that Tua’s comments about him being a “terrible person” especially hit him hard.
“Look, I’m human,” Flores said. “So, that hit me in a way that I wouldn’t say was positive for me. But at the same time, I’ve got to use that and say, ‘Hey, how can I grow from that, or how can I be better?’ And that’s really where I’m at from that standpoint.
“Do I feel like that’s me? No. But how can I grow from that situation and create a world where that’s not the case where anyone says that about Brian Flores?”
He did, however, share that his coaching style is always going to be to correct mistakes:
“I’m always going to correct,” he said. “I’m always going to have a high standard.”
Flores admitted as well that he has evolved as a coach over the years and has reflected on his time in Miami and how all of that unfolded.
“I think there’s things that I can do better for sure, and I’ve grown in that way,” Flores told reporters. “I’ve tried to apply the things that I can do better and the things that I’ve learned over the last 2-3 years. But I’d say over the long haul, I’ve had a lot of great relationships over my 21-year career here in the league. Players, coaches, personnel, equipment, people in the kitchen, really across the board I’ve had a lot of great relationships. I’m going to continue to do that.”
It seems that the two men will be able to put all of this behind at some point and Flores also said he would like to speak with Tua privately to address some of these issues.
Related: WATCH: Miami Dolphins Star Tua Tagovailoa Slams Former Head Coach: ‘Terrible Person’
