Schefter: Former Dolphins coach Brian Flores to become defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores will be the next defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports,

The Boston College grad spent three years as coach of the Dolphins and was let go in 2021 after back-to-back winning seasons.

That same offseason, Flores announced that he was suing the NFL and the New York Giants, alleging racism in the hiring process. He joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach in March, before the 2022 season.

Flores interviewed for jobs with the Giants and Houston Texans last season before ending up in Pittsburgh. This offseason, Flores was interviewed to take over as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, but that franchise seems to be headed in a different direction.

Flores, a defensive-minded coach, will take over a Minnesota unit that allowed 388 yards per game last year, the league’s second-largest average behind the Detroit Lions (392 yards per game). The Vikings allowed 25.1 points per game, tied for the third-most in the league.

In the team’s first season under Flores, Miami allowed a league-worst 30.9 points per game. However, things rapidly changed as the team tied for the fifth-fewest points allowed in 2020 (21.1) and finished middle of the pack in 2021 with an average of 21.9 points allowed per game.