When Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers coach, Brian Flores, was fired in January by the Miami Dolphins, it was a shock to many around the NFL. In three seasons as head coach of the Dolphins, Flores led the AFC East squad to a 24-25 record. Flores' team narrowly missed out on the playoffs last season after a 9-8 regular season record. While they didn't make the playoffs in his three seasons, it's hard to argue that the Dolphins actually exceeded expectations under Flores.
Dating back to his first season at the helm, the Dolphins went 5-11 in 2019 and then 10-7 in 2020. While five wins is nothing to scoff at, that squad was seen as a lock for a top-three pick before the season. Some were even saying they had the potential to be one of the worst teams of all-time. After a loss to Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football in Week 8, the Dolphins fell to 0-7.
Flores proceeded to lead them to a 5-4 record for the remainder of the season led by veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Speaking of Fitzpatrick, he was their leading rusher that season with 243 rushing yards. That's right, their top running back, Mark Walton, had 201 rushing yards. For reference, Fitzpatrick is now retired, and Walton is no longer in the league. Yet somehow, the Dolphins finished 5-11 and ended up firing him after two consecutive above .500 seasons beyond that.
Brian Flores and Mike Tomlin meet postgame at Heinz Field after a regular season battle. | Photo via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Regardless, his firing came as a shock as he was seen as a bright, young head coach in the NFL after spending 11 years under the tutelage of Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick. Pittsburgh presented the perfect reclamation project for Flores before potentially re-entering the head coaching market again. Pittsburgh's head coach, Mike Tomlin reflects a similar tone and coaching style in how each of them get across to the players. In fact, Tomlin was the main reason for Flores opting to come to Pittsburgh. After Flores initially called Tomlin for advice after getting fired from the Dolphins, Tomlin offered a potential opportunity within the organization.
Pittsburgh has a talented, yet underperforming linebacker group that needed some tightening up. In stepped Flores, who gives the team a guy with head coaching experience. While the Steelers have yet to even take the field and the linebackers have yet to show any sort of improvement on the field, Brian Flores already seems to be a slam-dunk hire. Even if he's only here for a year, his leadership on guys like Devin Bush hasn't gone unnoticed.
Flores' impact on the Steelers
In an interview with Missi Matthews, Pittsburgh's defensive coordinator Teryl Austin discussed Flores' versatility and multi-dimensional talents as a coach. In turn, Flores has had an imprint beyond just the linebacker group, as he's been able to roam around and help out the defensive line and secondary as well. Again, Flores may only be here for a year depending on if another opportunity comes up for him to be a head coach again. Regardless though, his hiring is so crucial to the success of this season's team.
What was your initial reaction to the hiring of Flores? Do you think he'll be here for more than a year? Let us know your thoughts below!
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