Brian Flores just left the Steelers for the defensive coordinator job in Minnesota so a replacement needs to be found.
Many began to believe that Brian Flores would be back with the Steelers for a second season after many rounds of interviews. Rumors were swirling that other jobs were going to be filled with names that were not Flores. He made an immediate impact across Pittsburgh’s roster in his lone year there.
Things happen and certain jobs fell into other directions than many had thought. Flores deserved a better opportunity, and he got one that will see him take command of the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator duties. Everything seems to be coming down to the final conclusion that Flores will become a Head Coach in the NFL again, more likely sooner rather than later.
Jerry Olsavsky/Grady Brown could be internal replacements for Steelers
Bringing people into the organization from the outside is not very common, so promoting within might be the most realistic. Flores was deemed a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach during his time here, but he had many duties across the team. Jerry Olsavsky had a year to work with Flores as they both coached up the linebackers and it could give Olsavsky an opportunity for growth from his longtime position.
Grady Brown is a young coach in the NFL, and he could start to climb some ranks around the league. Mike Tomlin’s coaching tree continues to get criticized for how small it is, but that could change with Brown. He is currently the secondary coach for Pittsburgh and could be in line for a promotion. Giving him an extra title of defensive assistant and continuing in a growing role among these coaches might be a great idea.
Mike Zimmer could be an option for a limited role on the coaching staff
There are plenty of coaching options out there from a veteran perspective. Mike Zimmer has been out as the Minnesota Vikings Head Coach position since 2021 and has not done much since. Deion Sanders worked his recruiting magic and got Zimmer to join Jackson State as an analyst before he departed for the top job at Colorado.
Luring Zimmer away from his current position at Jackson State would likely not be too difficult, especially with Sanders no longer at the University. The main question is if Zimmer would be interested in coaching at the NFL level again. He is getting older, and his health also kept him in question with his top job in Minnesota. The Steelers could be a good spot for him in a limited position and to get back into coaching conversations around the league.
Lovie Smith would be a good defensive mind with a lot on his resume
Another veteran coach that seems to be looking for a job is Lovie Smith. The long-time coach has garnered respect around the league after many years on his resume. Most were shocked that Smith was hired by the Texans last year after he was their defensive coordinator in 2021. He only lasted a season in Houston before he was fired after having a terrible go of things.
Does Smith want to keep going in this tough reality that is the coaching carousel of college or the NFL? Both he and Zimmer would probably need to get some interest going on both sides to talk them into joining the Steelers. Smith seems like he still has the coaching bug more than Zimmer but either would bring tremendous experience to Pittsburgh.
Vance Joseph could make sense if he is not retained under a new coaching staff
Trying to figure out the Head Coaching position in the NFL is extremely difficult and the Arizona Cardinals continue to realize that. The club is looking for their new Head Coach and that could mean a clean sweep of the previous staff. Vance Joseph is out of the running for the Cardinals’ top job, but he could leave if the new Head Coach decides not to retain him.
There would be other clubs that would come calling for Joseph’s services. He has not been able to lead the best defensive units in the NFL for some time now. He would bring a lot of experience to the Steelers, that’s if he would become a free agent if Arizona let him go.
Joseph has plenty of defensive coaching experience in the NFL and could bring that wealth of knowledge to the black and gold just like Flores did. It would be a significant role decrease for this coach, but it would come down to if others wanted him or not. There are plenty of coaching staffs that need to be filled out elsewhere, but Joseph could be getting into the market late.
Opportunities dry up fast in the NFL and losing his job this late in the process could mess up his coaching future. Tomlin could come calling just like he did with Flores last year after seeing most job opportunities going by the wayside. Joseph could have interest then with a desire to get a better job a year later just like Flores did.
Josh Boyer had connections to Flores and could translate that with the Steelers
Another former defensive coordinator makes this list as Josh Boyer was fired from his job in Miami recently. He joined the club when Brian Flores was the Head Coach of the Dolphins and spent the past couple of seasons with the new title. He could never really harness the entire defensive unit during his time with the title. That caused Miami to stay in the stalemate of being average and become one of the reasons for turnover.
Still, no matter if Boyer’s defense was not the best, they still had one of the better groups at different points this season. The Dolphins struggled with injuries throughout the year and that caused them to slip their way into the playoffs. Boyer is now looking for a new job and getting a young defensive mind on board might bring new ideas along with him.
The Steelers would be a nice landing spot for Boyer, but there could be other places for this former coordinator to land. If there are any openings on the Vikings defensive coaching staff, especially in the secondary, expect Flores to make some recruiting calls to him. Tomlin might not be the favorite to land Boyer, but he could bring some unique ideas that these other veterans on this list could not.
The Steelers might not find a replacement for the role that Flores played on this team and that is perfectly fine. Bringing in an experienced defensive mind might be a good idea if the opportunity presents itself.