Who did the Dolphins hire in Flores? Someone ‘special,’ say his friends and peers
Brian Flores is, by all accounts, a good dude.
But will be a good NFL coach?
Dolphins fans are cautious (or, more accurately, jaundiced) because they have been sold hype so many times before, only to be disappointed.
And with the looming roster reset, it might be tough to get a fair evaluation of Flores in 2019.
But talk to the people who know him best, and one can’t help but come away encouraged about the Dolphins’ long-term health.
The NFL Scouting Combine, held here this week, provided an opportunity to do just that.
What was striking was not that opposing coaches and GMs said nice things about Flores.
It’s how they said it. The affection his former Patriots colleagues have for Flores is undeniable.
Their mood lifts when his name comes up. Their tone changes.
Flores is well-liked among his peers. But more importantly, he is well-respected.
Just ask Thomas Dimitroff, who gave Flores a bear hug when their paths crossed here this week.
Dimitroff has been the Falcons’ general manager since 2008. But before that, he was the Patriots’ director of college scouting.
During his time in New England, Bill Belichick hired Flores as an entry-level scouting assistant. Even as a glorified gofer, Flores’ potential was evident.
“He was always one of those guys who was striving and achieving and going for it,” Dimitroff said. “I don’t mean that in a cliche way. He was just pushing himself. It was very apparent. Those people, you can see it. He had something very special about him. He had a keen eye for talent, I thought, at a young age.”
That’s invaluable for a coach, Dimitroff added. Successful franchises are by and large drama-free franchises. The coach and GM not only need to get along, but they need to have the same vision for how to build a team.
That has rarely been the case in Miami. Even the last regime, which was more functional than others have been here, had its issues. Mike Tannenbaum wasn’t exactly a stabilizing force, and the sense within the building was that self-preservation at times shaped his decision making.
Flores and general manager Chris Grier may never again have as much job security as they do now. So they have the luxury of patience, and are building their team accordingly.
“He’s going to be a really good addition to that organization, of course,” Dimitroff added. “I think he and Chris are going to get along really well.”
Flores and Grier have known each other for more than a decade, but it wasn’t until the interview with Dolphins brass in early January that Grier got a true sense of Flores’ attention to detail.
It was easy to study up on Grier and owner Stephen Ross. But Flores came to the meeting armed with information about lesser-known members of the organization in the room like Brandon Shore, the team’s vice president of football operations.
That, as much as any conversation about X’s and O’s, impressed the Dolphins.
“His level of detail and getting to know, and then as you’ve been around him you can feel his presence, his leadership, how people respond to him how he treats people so I though that was exactly what we needed,” Grier said.
Grier added: “I think I want Brian to be Brian so whatever he feels works we’re all on board for that.”
Brian will be Brian.
But he will be a little Bill, too.
As in Bill Belichick, whose discipline, brilliance and precision have made him perhaps not just the greatest coach in football history, but the greatest coach in sports history.
Patriots reporters were quick to notice the Patriot Way is strong in Flores when he met with the media here Wednesday.
“Maybe it does rub off,” Flores said of his Belichick-like approach and mannerisms. “Maybe it’s something I feel like there’s some good in that. If we focus on last year, then we’re not focused on this year. I would hate to take away from this year’s time, focusing on whatever happened a year ago. If I’m copying Bill, then I guess I’m copying Bill in that situation.”
But, Flores is reminded, he must remain true to himself. Others have tried to be Belichick clones. Almost all have failed.
Matt Patricia, the Lions’ coach who preceded Flores as Patriots defensive play-caller, had a rough transition to head coach in 2018. He picked silly fights with reporters, which is a losing battle when the team is bad.
Flores already seems to be more disciplined that Patricia. And while Flores won’t be as open with the media as Adam Gase, he has learned to say little without being disagreeable.
“He’s really smart, he’s a hard worker, he’s a great guy,” Patricia said. “He really relates to the players outstandingly. And to people in general, I think he has a great mannerism about him. Just a good person.”
Bill O’Brien has done the best job of taking parts of the Patriots approach and applying them to a new place. He’s made the playoffs in three of his five seasons as Texans coach.
And like Flores, he climbed the Patriots pyramid. O’Brien’s second year in New England was Flores’ first year as a coach. Flores asked to be moved over from personnel after four seasons as a scout. He spent two years as a special teams assistant, then Flores was assigned to work under O’Brien, then New England’s quarterbacks coach.
“In every role that he had in New England, when I was there and obviously after I was there, he did a great job,” O’Brien said. “He’s a very bright guy. He’s a very hard-working guy. The players really respect him. He’s the same guy everyday. He’s not an up and down guy. He’s got a good demeanor. He can adjust on the fly and he’ll do a great job in Miami.”
Over the past month, Flores has leaned on his old colleagues who went through what he’s going through now. There’s little that can prepare a career assistant for the challenges of being a head coach, but he has sought out advice from those who have done it.
They told him it would be a whirlwind. It has been.
And they told him to be true to himself, stick to the things that are important to him. So far he has.
“It’s incredible,” Flores said. “It’s a dream come true. But at the same time — and I’ve had this conversation with many people — I’m never going to feel like I arrived. This isn’t the finish line; this is the start line for me. I’m excited to be in this position, but at the same time I know that there’s a lot of work to be done in all areas. We’re always all trying to improve on a day-to-day basis. We want to build a tough team, a smart team, a team that can play under pressure. Players need to know that. The entire organization needs to know that. We’re going to work towards that every day.”
This story was originally published February 28, 2019 at 2:20 PM.
