Former Minnesota Vikings assistant head coach/outside linebackers coach Mike Pettine revealed in a recent interview on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show that Brian Flores is someone that is hard to work with. Pettine, who coached with Flores the last three years in Minnesota, retired after the 2025 season.
Adam Gerstenhaber asked Pettine, "What are your thoughts on Brian Flores?"
Pettine replied, "Uh, probably not many that I would prefer to share… I mean, we didn't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, and that's why I spent this past year on offense. I was there in '23 and '24 on defense. I'll take the high road on that one."
Pettine is not the only person to indicate that Flores is difficult to work with. One of the reported reasons the Miami Dolphins moved on from Flores was his inability to connect with players and members of the organization.
In January of 2022, the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson outlined some of the problems with Flores.
"There were plenty of players who liked and admired Flores, and let's be clear about that," Jackson wrote. "But his arrogance and bristling personality rubbed some the wrong way. A close associate of multiple young Dolphins said the players complained to him that, 'He doesn't understand dealing with men. He's not approachable.'
"When Flores saw one young player in recent months, he told him: 'Don't come to my office talking about playing time.' The player had no such intentions. But multiple sources said he treated players different ways; a veteran such as Jason McCourty wouldn't be treated with that same heavy hand. 'He was stern with some but joked around with some guys,' the source said. 'It was hard to read him.'"
Flores, a former Pittsburgh Steelers assistant coach, is a candidate to replace Mike Tomlin. Flores signed a new contract to remain the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator on Wednesday night, however.
"The Vikings have signed defensive coordinator Brian Flores to a new contract, sources tell me and @RapSheet," NFL insider Tom Pelissero wrote on X. "Flores is still a candidate with the Steelers and Ravens head coaching jobs. But if he doesn't land one of those, he'll stay in Minnesota."
Flores was on an expiring contract with the Vikings, leaving him free to do whatever he wanted, including a lateral move that would've landed him as a defensive coordinator elsewhere. Even with signing the new deal, Flores is allowed to take a head coaching job, which is a promotion.
The Steelers interviewed Flores in person on Tuesday.
Flores has designed the Vikings' defense for three seasons. During his tenure, his units have held opponents to 19.2 points per game (second-fewest in the NFL), 5.1 yards per play (fourth-fewest) and 105.4 rushing yards per game (fourth-fewest).
"Brian has a unique ability to connect with players, understand their skill sets, and put them in positions to maximize their impact on the field," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said in a team statement. "The identity of our defense is a reflection of his leadership and preparation. On a personal level, I've really valued the relationship we've built over the last three years, and that shared trust, alignment and high standard will continue to be critical to our success."
Brendan Howe contributed.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Ex-Vikings Coach Reveals Big Red Flag on Brian Flores
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