South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Don’t say ‘defensive-minded’
Flores sees himself just as a coach
DAVIE— Brian Flores had a moment of discomfort caused by a casual label inserted into a question this week.
Labels are often a dangerous thing because they come with stigmas and expectations, but the Miami Dolphins’ secondyear head coach made it crystal clear thisweek he didn’twant to hear one specific label attacked to his name, despite his background.
That labelwas “defensive-minded,” which I used to describe Flores because that is the route he took working hisway up the NFL’s coaching ranks.
He seemingly took those twowords as an insult.
“Iwouldn’t callmyself defensive-minded; I coach football— offense, defense and special teams,” said Flores, whois viewed as a possibleNFLCoach of the Year contender because of Miami’s transformation froma rebuilding 5-11 team in 2019 into a playoff contender in 2020.
“Whether you’re an offensive coach [or] defensive coach, tome I just coach football. ... It’s just coaching ball, not offense or defense. [I’m] just a football coach.”
In hindsight, I realize I’ve used the “defensive-minded label” quite a few times this year, especially when discussing the Dolphins’ success on that side of the ball in Flores’ second year after spending a fortune addingByron
Jones, KyleVanNoy, Shaq Lawson, Emmanuel Ogbah and ElandonRoberts to upgrade the unit in free agency last offseason.
Themoney spent adding those defensive starters clearly paid off because the Dolphins rank second in scoring defense, allowing 18.8 points per game; first in third-downefficiency on defense, getting teams off the field on that critical down33.1% of the time; and first in turnovers created (25).
Miami has a top-three defense this season, but Flores clearly doesn’twant
the credit for that success, especially since he doesn’t call plays every down.
Defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, whoworked hisway up thePatriots ranksworking under Flores inNewEngland, deserves that recognition.
Floreswants toworld to knowhe’s a football coach, the team’s leader, theman whomanages every unit of his team and creates the franchise’s culture.
That’s a stark contrast to his predecessorAdam Gase, an “offensive-minded coach” whotakes a handsoff approach to his defense
and special teams units.
During games, Gase can often be found sitting on the bench dissecting plays, film and printouts for several minutes while his Jets defense is on the field. He did the same thing whenhewas with the Dolphins.
That’s not Flores— not even close.
In fact, unlike most head coaches, Flores actually has a level of experience working in every aspect of a football team’s coaching staff and even has some experience on the operational side.
He’s served as former NFLexecutive Scott Pioli’s apprentice in his firstNFL job withNewEngland, and then became a scout, which is a role he held for two seasons before feeling he couldmake more of an impact on the coaching side.
“I startedwanting to be in personnel and then I just felt I could have a little bit more impact on the game, so thatwas the reason behind trying to get into coaching,” Flores said. “I felt like I could build relationships with players and it’s hard to do that on
the personnel side. You just don’t have asmuch interaction with them, so I just wanted tomake more of an impact.”
His first coaching assignment inNewEnglandwas as an offensive assistant, where heworked with formerTexans head coach Bill O’Brien, helping with NewEngland’s receivers and quarterbacks.
Flores then spent the 2010 season coaching the Patriots’ special teams unit before becoming a defensive assistant in 2011.
Defense is where his coaching career took off as he spent eight years working hisway up to the hierarchy to become that’s unit’s play-caller before the Dolphinsmade him this franchise’s 13th head coach.
So even though Flores spent eight seasons on that side of the ball, he needs theworld to knowhe’s filled every role there is in an organization— from working in the front office and scouting department, to the offensive side and special teams unit— so don’t attempt to put him in abox.
He’s still got plenty to prove and hopes to have an influence on all aspects of his team.
“I’m probably never going to feel established,” Flores said. “Just got to keepworking, keep improving, keep trying to develop. That’sme personally and hopefully our team is that sameway.”