Just days after beating the New England Patriots and capping off a string of nine games in which they won eight contests, the Miami Dolphins shocked the football world when they fired head coach Brian Flores. The former Patriots linebackers coach went 24-25 in three seasons with Miami.
The firing surprised some of his current and former players, as names like Stephon Gilmore and Jason McCourty were confused as to why a coach with his acumen has been tossed aside despite his success.
Many eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice that there had to be something going on behind the scenes for a coach to be let go after a 19-14 record over two seasons. Based on the latest bombshell report, their intuition appears to have been correct.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald posted a bombshell that peels back the curtain on Flores’ tenure in Miami. Like many Belichick assistants, Flores reportedly clashed with owner Stephen Ross and GM Chris Grier, trying to hoard as much power as possible and promoting a culture of secrecy.
Another disaster in the AFC East? Patriots fans will take that any day of the week!
NEW: Some behind-the-scenes nuggets on Flores dismissal; how he operated; Ross standing by Grier and what Ross prioritizes; Tua/Flores; more. And Bears call Flores about their head coaching job: https://t.co/fpcqg8LgXy
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) January 11, 2022
Former Patriots assistant Brian Flores was combative in Miami.
Flores’ personality apparently rubbed some veterans the wrong way, as he would be outgoing and jovial with some players and incredibly stern with others. His relationship with Tua Tagovailoa, drafted one pick before Justin Herbert, may have been the final nail in his coffin.
While he and Grier were reportedly in lockstep on the decision to select Tagovailoa, the pair never really seemed to get into a groove. On top of the fact that Flores churned through multiple offensive coordinators, the pair had a verbal altercation during their loss to the No. 1 seed Titans in Week 17.
Like many former Belichick assistants, Flores struggled to both get the quarterback quandary solved, manage relationships with players without coming off as overbearing, and work well with ownership.
Despite those marks against him, Flores’ record with bad quarterback play and defensive excellence has already helped him land some head coach interviews in the 2022 cycle. Flores is set to interview for the Bears’ vacant head coach spot.
Former #Dolphins coach Brian Flores is set to interview for the #Bears head coaching job, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 11, 2022
After his surprise dismissal Monday, Flores is expected to be hot in this cycle. Chicago gets the first confirmed interview.
While Flores clearly has skill when it comes to developing a defense, it didn’t seem like everyone was on the same page in Miami.
The Dolphins will now look to hire their fourth non-interim coach in the last decade, showing how dysfunctional that organization can be.
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