After firing Ed Donatell on January 19, the Vikings quickly interviewed four candidates for the job.
Brian Flores - Pittsburgh Steelers senior defensive assistant/LB coach
Sean Desai - Seattle Seahawks associate head coach-defense
Ryan Nielsen - New Orleans Saints co-defensive coordinator/DL coach
Mike Pettine - Minnesota Vikings assistant head coach
It was fine start. After those initial interviews there was a long pause. During that pause, Ryan Nielsen was hired by the Atlanta Falcons and Sean Desai removed his name from consideration for the job. It felt like the Vikings were waiting to interview another candidate. It was easy to guess that Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero was that candidate. He coached alongside Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell for a couple seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. He’d also crossed paths with Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Evero was an effective and fast-rising defensive coach. It was easy to understand O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah waiting for a shot to interview him. The Broncos were blocking that shot. He was finally released from his contract on Saturday. Less than 24 hours later, Evero was the defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers.
On Sunday, the Vikings defensive coordinator search was apparently down to Brian Flores and “settling” for Mike Pettine. Seeing as the Vikings fan base is a cynical, pessimistic bunch, many were penciling Pettine into their coaching roster. For what it’s worth, Flores and Evero were my top options. A 1a and 1b. Despite losing out on an opportunity to hire Evero, Flores was still an option. He was also in demand. The Broncos had an interview scheduled for today for their defensive coordinator position under Sean Payton. More significantly, Flores was a head coach finalist for the Arizona Cardinals. Seeing as he’s now the Vikings defensive coordinator, Flores preferred his new job over possibilities with those other teams.
This is a fantastic hire for the Vikings.
The Vikings 2022 defense was terrible. Worse than terrible, they were passive. That passive play was a season-long anchor for the team. The only thing that saved the team was a handful of timely turnovers. If those didn’t come, the team was in serious trouble. The Vikings defense was a difficult watch. In Brian Flores, the Vikings now have a defensive coordinator that coaches aggressive play. Defensively, next year will be the opposite of last year. That’s a very good thing. Instead of keeping everything in front of them, the Vikings defense will be coming after the offense. They will be dictating the action rather than waiting for it to happen. Man-to-man coverage and blitzing. Loaded boxes will replace light boxes. Quarterbacks and the offensive line will be forced to make split-second decisions or pay a steep price. It’s so damn fun to think about the possibilities of the Flores-coordinated Vikings defense.
Do they have the players to run this new defense? Danielle Hunter, Za’Darius Smith, Harrison Smith, Brian Asamoah, and Lewis Cine are a fine start. Skilled cover corners are a must for this defense. Andrew Booth Jr., Akayleb Evans, and Cam Dantzler are young and skilled. Perhaps they can be molded into the players that this new defense needs. Whether the Vikings have the players is a question for an another day. While that day is coming real soon, this day is a great one. The Vikings have added a terrific coach to run the defense.
Welcome to Minnesota, Brian Flores.
Brian Flores’ NFL Career
2004-05: New England Patriots Scouting Assistant
2007-07: New England Patriots Pro Scout
2008-09: New England Patriots Special Teams Assistant
2010: New England Patriots Assistant Offense and Special Teams Assistant
2011: New England Patriots Defensive Assistant
2012-15: New England Patriots Safeties Coach
2016-18: New England Patriots Linebackers Coach
2019-21: Miami Dolphins Head Coach
2022: Pittsburgh Steelers Senior Defensive Assistant & Linebackers Coach
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