Why adding Brian Flores was a 1000 IQ move by Steelers
Brian Flores went from being one of the hottest names in the NFL to one of the coldest in the last couple of months. From being a potential breakout coach to becoming an assistant coach, Flores would likely agree in stating that life can come at one fast. However, with the Steelers offering the former Miami Dolphins head coach a port in the storm, the team has also set itself up for double success over the coming decades.
The former head coach of the Dolphins has enough experience that he could call himself a veteran. Of course, Flores still has areas in which to grow, but the former head coach would pick up the job much faster than a rookie head coach. In hiring the former head coach for an assistant role, the team has fortified itself for the future.
Brian Flores might be the most overqualified linebackers coach in NFL history. He’s a top 15 head coach.
When long-time coach quarterback duos come to an end, one often follows the other. This was proven in New Orleans when Drew Brees retired last year and Sean Payton followed suit this year.
With Ben Roethlisberger out the door, Mike Tomlin could be close behind. Of course, he may not feel that way right now, but a full season of struggle followed by the prospect of starting from scratch could be enough to push Tomlin over the edge after an already long career by head coaching standards.
While the Saints are picking up the pieces after Sean Payton left the team earlier this year, the Steelers have a quality head coach already on their staff.
Flores offers more upside and stability than most head coaching candidates and, considering the team was the one who gave him a home, the Steelers would be setting themselves up to get the coach ahead of other franchises.
Notes:
1. The lawsuit is still on.
2. Mike Tomlin: “I am excited about Brian Flores joining our coaching staff given his history of developing and teaching defensive players during his time in the NFL.”
3. Not that Flores needs it, but good look at a new way of doing things. twitter.com/rapsheet/statu…
Not to mention, he proved to be able to coach up a young quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa. If needed, he could do the same for the Steelers' future quarterback later down the line.
However, considering how he got the job, this line of thinking makes the possibility of a Tomlin retirement much more likely as he was the one who pulled the trigger.
How a call for advice turned into a job offer for Brian Flores
Flores was looking for advice on how to salvage his situation shortly after being fired and suing three NFL teams over discrimination. In an interview on HBO via Steelers Wire, the former head coach called for advice on Thursday, talked a bit more on Friday, and received a job offer that evening.
"It all happened very fast," Flores said. "I talked to– Coach Tomlin Thursday. Little bit more conversation on Friday. Accepted the job on Friday evening. I actually was, you know, callin’ Coach– Coach T. really to get some counsel. I was thinkin’ about the next steps for me just from a coaching standpoint. And then that conversation turned into an opportunity there in Pittsburgh."
If Tomlin was the one who hired the head coach, was it simply a gesture of goodwill, the addition of a highly experienced assistant coach, or a potential successor to a team he's been growing since 2007? Flores offered his theory.
I’m a very capable coach in this league," Flores said. "But I do feel like he saw a situation where there was... a very... experienced coach... who could help his staff, who was also a Black coach in the league. And I think... I think... that kind [of] speaks to what we’re talkin’ about.