News broke that the Steelers and Mike Tomlin were parting ways after 19 seasons together. The two seemed entrenched together, and even with the recent struggles, his job felt safe for at least another season.
Instead, Pittsburgh begins its first head coach search in nearly two decades. Unfortunately, this class of candidates is less than stellar. However, a few names are already sticking out.
There seems to be two trains of thought here. You can go for the experienced coach with experience, or you can take a shot on a young coordinator.
Pittsburgh typically does the latter, but they have an option that is the best of both worlds in Brian Flores. He checks all of the boxes and even has experience in Pittsburgh. Flores seems like the early frontrunner... and for good reason.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could have their next head coach in Minnesota Vikings DC Brian Flores
Flores has proven himself as a stout defensive coordinator. His time with the Patriots and Vikings has proven that. Even his short stint in Pittsburgh was fruitful. I have no question that he can lead a defense.
The defensive-minded coach did get a shot to coach in Miami, and the results were actually decent. He famously refused to tank and actually led the Dolphins to a winning record. That led to him being fired and a massive lawsuit that derailed his career.
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Flores is notorious for being a tough coach built in the Bill Belichick mold. He expects a lot from his players and typically gets the most out of them. That is a desirable trait in a head coach.
While a defensive coordinator at heart, Flores was willing to delegate during his time with the Dolphins. His defensive coordinators had experience and helped call the defense. Naturally, he can turn to an offensive specialist for the other side of the team.
There are other names that I prefer to Flores. Marcus Freeman is intriguing from the college ranks, while Chris Shula has done an exceptional job with the Rams. I think either would be a small upgrade over Flores.
That said, he appears to be an exceptionally qualified candidate and one who checks many of the boxes. I certainly won’t be surprised if he ends up being the name that circles back to Pittsburgh once the dust settles from the hiring process.