Announced by the Steelers mid-February 2022, Brian Flores will be the senior assistant defensive/ linebackers coach. With his experience, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the Steelers. Creating controversy, he is also giving the world a glimpse into the shadier side of the NFL.
The former Miami Dolphins head coach is suing the NFL and several teams for racial discrimination. He led the club in back-to-back winning seasons. A feat that hadn’t been done since 2003. Flores offseason kicked off with him being fired as the Dolphins head coach. Analisa Novak reported on his suit and the NFL’s front office hiring practices.
What went right and what went wrong?
In 2004, Brian Flores started his career with the New England Patriots as a scout and moved up the ranks quickly. By 2008 he was the special teams coaching assistant. His title changed multiple times as he coached various field positions. By 2018, he was a defensive playcaller during his last season with the Patriots and concluded it with a title from Super Bowl LIII.
A rising star coach in the NFL, Flores served as the 12th head coach for the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2021. The only coach to sweep Bill Belichick in a division series. Suddenly, everyone was watching him for a different reason.
Despite the Dolphins’ back to back winning seasons, they did not make it to the playoffs. Even with an overall 24-25 record for three seasons, he was fired. Supposedly for his struggle to form proper relationships within the franchise.
The controversial lawsuit.
February 1, 2022, Brian Flores filed a class action lawsuit against the NFL including Miami Dolphins owner, Stephen Ross, Denver Broco’s, Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans and NY Giants. The suit alleges racial discrimination for hiring and retention practices for black coaches, among other issues. This lawsuit could blow the door wide open about seedy processes happening throughout the league.
There are accusations that Stephen Ross offered Flores substantial amounts of money to lose games. For better draft picks. The more a team loses, the better the draft pick options. For example, the Cincinnati Bengals had a losing season 2 in 14, which allowed them a first-round draft pick in 2020. They snagged Joe Burrows from LSU. Flores cites this as one reason for his termination. Stephen Ross denies the allegations. A separate set of issues that revealed a bigger picture.
The suit revolves around the lack of black head coaches and diversity in the NFL. Minority interviews for head coach positions or front office openings happen to satisfy the Rooney Rule, not for the actual hiring process. Based on the affirmative action policies, the Rooney rule ensures equal hiring practices among the clubs. The class action suit claims that some teams skirt this, interviewing black candidates with no intention of hiring them.
An act of collusion to keep the current NFL network intact. Only litigation can prove or disprove this. To date, there are three black head coaches and 32 teams.
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