Brian Flores not getting hired by any NFL team would prove his point after consecutive winning seasons
The clock is ticking on Brian Flores landing another NFL head coaching job this offseason. Fans know the story by now. He was shockingly fired by the Miami Dolphins after consecutive winning seasons and is now bringing a class-action lawsuit against the league for discrimination.
But he is also still in the running for two more head coaching jobs. One is with the New Orleans Saints, and the other is with the Houston Texans. Does the lawsuit change the fact he is arguably the most qualified candidate available?
Former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores joined @GetUpESPN to discuss his decision to sue the NFL and three teams, alleging racism in hiring practices.
"We need change. ... We need to change the hearts and minds of people making those decisions." https://t.co/HnlTHtZ2t5
That should not be the case, and Flores not getting a job would only prove his entire point to be true. He is arguing that NFL teams routinely interview minority head coaches with no intention of hiring them. Beyond that, there is an argument to be made that these head coaches are also judged on a much tougher scale than their white counterparts.
He just had back-to-back winning seasons in his first-ever stint as a head coach. Yet here he is, struggling to find another opportunity. Missing out on one job, in particular, may only strengthen his case against the NFL and its teams.
The Houston Texans see Brian Flores as a finalist
The Texans are under a microscope right now as they search for their next head coach. ESPN's Josina Anderson reported it is down to Flores, Josh McCown, and Jonathan Gannon.
As of this am, I'm told the #Texans still have not made a final decision on their head coach, but Brian Flores is still considered a finalist--even after his filing of a class-action lawsuit in Manhattan federal court against the NFL--along with Jonathan Gannon & Josh McCown. 1/3
McCown is one of the more controversial candidates this hiring cycle because he has no experience at the professional or collegiate level as a coach. If he got the job over Flores, it would be a shock, but it is still a possibility, considering they are both finalists.
However, there are just too many links between Flores and the Texans for them not to be a great fit. The coach spent years with GM Nick Caserio in New England, and they could bring the "Patriot Way" to a struggling Texans franchise.
There is also the fact the coach showed up to a rebuilding Dolphins team and willed them to five wins in 2019, while apparently getting harassed by team owner Stephen Ross the entire time. He then won 10 games a year later in 2020.
But let's say the Texans go with McCown, or even Gannon. Does this one hiring decision prove his case? The answer to that is yes and no.
Yes, because he has even more proof that his experience is seemingly not even being taken into consideration. If that is the case, he is the only realistic candidate in the discussion.
No, because this is not a Texans problem. This is something that is going on all over the NFL as qualified minority candidates keep being passed over for head coaching jobs. Bringing an end to this process, unfortunately, is up to team owners more than anyone else.
Also Read: John Elway blasts Brian Flores' "false and defamatory claims" about 2019 Broncos interview