Dolphins, Flores will have to wait
Deal for new coach will be finalized after Super Bowl
The Miami Dolphins will have to wait at least two more weeks for Brian Flores to be their next head coach.
Flores, the de facto defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, will continue to coach his current team in the Super Bowl after a 37-31 overtime road win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game on Sunday.
The Patriots will face the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl on Feb. 3 in Atlanta.
The Dolphins must wait until the Super Bowl is over to officially hire Flores, who was the first candidate to interview for Miami’s head coaching job and became the clearcut favorite for the position on Jan. 11.
Despite being in a holding period, the Dolphins will be able to hold a second formal interview with Flores for the position, per NFL rules, which state the interview must be conducted by Jan. 27.
While Flores is already in line to be hired, the meeting between Flores and the Dolphins brass will be focused on putting together a coaching staff and other team issues, according to a report by NFL Network on Sunday.
Flores and Dolphins general manager Chris Grier, who spent six years in the Patriots front office from 1994-2000, both began their careers with New England.
Flores, who has spent 15 years in the NFL all with New England, has been a part of three Super Bowl victories and seven total trips to the Super Bowl with the franchise.
The Dolphins hope to recreate New England’s winning ways in Miami behind Flores, who will be a first-time head coach.
Flores has been with the Patriots since 2004, where he began as a scout for four years, before he joined the coaching staff in various roles the past 11 years.
This season was the first Flores filled the role of Patriots’ defensive play-caller, despite not having the official title of defensive coordinator. He assumed the role after Matt Patricia left New England to coach the Detroit Lions. He also leads the Patriots linebackers group.
Despite not officially being the Patriots
defensive coordinator and a lack of head coaching experience, Flores was considered a hot commodity among NFL teams.
Flores also interviewed for the vacant head coaching jobs with the Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers earlier this month. And he interviewed for the Arizona Cardinals’ job last year.
Flores will be the sixth consecutive head coach hired by Miami that is a first-time head coach.
The Dolphins also interviewed Dallas Cowboys defensive playcaller Kris Richard, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, their longtime special teams coach Darren Rizzi and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains for the position after Adam Gase was fired a day after Miami’s season ended on Dec. 31.
Flores, who is Honduran, will be the first Hispanic coach and the second black coach (interim Todd Bowles) in Dolphins history.
Flores will also be the second Hispanic coach in the league ( joining Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera, who is Puerto Rican) and the third black coach in the NFL (along with Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Los Angeles Chargers coach Anthony Lynn).
With Flores and Grier, the Dolphins will be the only NFL team to have a black coach and black general manager.