Vikings coach turned down a major opportunity to work for NFC foe
The hire of defensive coordinator Brian Flores is an undeniable upgrade for the Minnesota Vikings. What makes Flores’ hire even more exciting is that he chose Minnesota over a better job with an NFC foe. Flores was one of three known finalists for the head coaching job with the Arizona Cardinals. While Arizona’s search was […]
The hire of defensive coordinator Brian Flores is an undeniable upgrade for the Minnesota Vikings. What makes Flores’ hire even more exciting is that he chose Minnesota over a better job with an NFC foe.
Flores was one of three known finalists for the head coaching job with the Arizona Cardinals. While Arizona’s search was ongoing, Flores pulled his name out of the drawing and signed with the Vikings for the vacancy at defensive coordinator.
In his introductory press conference, Flores admitted that he turned down the Cardinals job because he wasn’t confident in the fit.
“You get a gut feeling,” Flores said. “I think we’ve all kind of had those. This was the place for me and my family. This was the right opportunity.”
Watch Brian Flores' introductory press conference here.
For Flores to walk away from an opportunity to return to the head coaching role, and link up with the Vikings just speaks to how attractive the culture currently is in Minnesota.
“This is what I was put here to do: to coach, to teach,” Flores stated. “Diversity is important to me as well, but when I walk in this building, you see the diversity in every department, and that’s exciting too.”
Flores’ tenure in Minnesota could be short-lived, as he will undoubtedly be a hot name in next season’s coaching cycle. But the Vikings have the pieces in place to make a deep postseason run in 2023. Adding Flores to the mix only adds to Minnesota’s appeal as one of the stronger contenders in the NFC.
Featured image via Jeffrey Becker – USA TODAY Sports
