It looks like the Pittsburgh Steelers will soon be losing defensive assistant, Brian Flores. Here’s why his latest interview is an indication that he won’t be back.
After the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Brian Flores as a defensive assistant this past offseason, we knew it was only going to be a matter of time before the former Miami Dolphins head coach received a better job offer. Flores has been a part of some successful defenses in the past, and we knew he wasn’t going to stick around long as a defensive assistant in Pittsburgh.
It looks like his opportunity might come even sooner than expected. Black Monday saw a handful of high-profile coaches lose their jobs this year, and some teams already had Flores’ number on speed dial.
Earlier this week, The Cleveland Browns scheduled an interview with the Steelers coach after firing defensive coordinator, Joe Woods. But Flores may not need to settle for that.
On Friday morning, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Arizona Cardinals have requested permission to interview Flores for their head coaching vacancy. The Cardinals recently fired Kliff Kingsbury after an unsuccessful season, and it’s looking like they are interested in going in a different direction with a defensive mind at the helm.
The #AZCardinals have requested permission to interview #Steelers senior defensive assistant and LBs coach Brian Flores for their vacant HC position, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 13, 2023
Steelers will lose Brian Flores soon
If you were hoping that Brian Flores was going to stick around in his current role, get promoted to defensive coordinator, or perhaps even be the heir to Mike Tomlin, don’t hold your breath. Flores is going to be gone very soon.
It hasn’t even been a week since the close of the 2022 season and already he has had some very impressive potential job opportunities. More are expected to come as well as a handful of other teams will be looking for head coaches and defensive coordinators for the 2023 season.
Obviously, Flores isn’t guaranteed to get a head coaching position. In terms of defensive minds, 49ers defensive coordinator, DeMeco Ryans is probably first in line for an HC job. Meanwhile, many other teams like having an offensive-minded head coach (which makes sense in today’s NFL dominated by great offenses and good quarterbacks).
Still, there’s little reason to expect Flores to stick around when there will be plenty of opportunities elsewhere. Let’s hope that the talented coach finds success with his next football team. He certainly seemed to be a worthwhile addition to the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2022 offseason.