Brian Flores may have sued the NFL for not allowing him to have a head coaching gig, but he cannot complain about being jobless anymore.
The former Miami Dolphins head coach got hired as a special defensive assistant and linebacker’s coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ on Saturday. However, the hire does not mean that his ongoing legal battle against the NFL is over.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is thrilled to have Flores aboard. Flores, one of the brilliant defensive minds in the NFL, will bring 14 years of coaching experience to the Black and Gold’s staff.
“I am excited about Brian Flores joining our coaching staff given his history of developing and teaching defensive players during his time in the NFL,” Tomlin said. “Brian’s resume speaks for itself, and I look forward to him adding his expertise to help our team.”
We have named Brian Flores as our senior defensive assistant/linebackers.
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) February 19, 2022
Tomlin has long proven himself to be one of the classiest individuals in the league, and the way in which he handled the Flores hire further proves that point.
Notice how there was no drama in Tomlin’s announcement. No mention of providing “equal opportunity” for a black man in a “racist league,” no throwing shade at the teams that did not hire Flores, no statements about how social justice won the day. It was strictly a football decision with (apparently) no underlying motives, and it looks like the Steelers got a highly qualified individual to fill their coaching vacancy.
Even though Flores has created an unnecessary stir in the league with his baseless lawsuit, it is satisfying to see him back on an NFL coaching staff, especially considering why the Dolphins fired him. He deserves a shot to coach in some capacity, and hopefully he succeeds in Pittsburgh.
And that’s how it should be. If you are a Steelers fan, get excited! Your already stout defense will likely only get better now that Flores will have a chance to work his magic within it. Let’s just hope this does not get soured by some twisted social justice narrative in the months to come.