‘Chip on his shoulder’: Brian Flores lawyers condemn racial stereotypes in NFL coaching report

A recently unsealed recruiting report on Brian Flores contains multiple examples of “racial stereotypes” and amounts to unlawful retaliation for the coach’s discrimination lawsuit against the NFL, according to his lawyers.

The Korn Ferry report, made public on Tuesday and obtained by the Associated Press, lists six strengths and seven weaknesses that Flores’ attorneys say demonstrate the league’s continued reliance on racial stereotypes in hiring and its retaliation against the coach for his lawsuit alleging racial discrimination.

The report, first published by Front Office Sports, was prepared in connection with the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coaching vacancy in 2024. Flores is now the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.

“The recently unsealed documents demonstrate two unfortunate, but unsurprising, realities,” attorney Michael J Willemin said in a statement. “First, that Mr Flores’ decision to hold the league and its teams accountable for systemic race discrimination has been met with unlawful retaliation. Second, discrimination continues to play a significant role in the hiring process for NFL Head Coaches, as evidenced by the fact that the candidate profile prepared for the Raiders leans heavily on racial stereotypes.”

Willemin added: “We and Mr Flores are committed to eradicating the institutional racism and retaliation that permeates the league, its teams and their partners.”

The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

One of the strengths listed in the report describes Flores as “polished and a good presenter despite growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn (same as Mike Tyson). He was able to build a strong friendship with a billionaire’s son which gave him opportunities to socialize and learn how to build relationships with white-collar and upper-class individuals.”

Brownsville is a predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhood in Brooklyn.

One of the weaknesses says Flores “can fool you with his polish upwards. Has little people skills, lacks self-awareness and can sometimes exhibit erratic behavior.”

The report also cites comments by former Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, saying they had contributed to a narrative that Flores was “pessimistic and adversarial” and that his coaching style had “shattered his confidence”.

Other criticisms included claims that Flores’ “personality is unpredictable” and that he “once threatened violence to his GM and made irrational demands during an ownership meeting”.

The report quotes an unnamed longtime senior executive who said Flores “may have changed since, but he was the worst hiring decision we’ve ever made”.

The final weakness listed was that Flores’ ongoing discrimination lawsuit against the NFL could become a distraction.

Flores, who is Black, sued the league and three teams in February 2022, alleging the NFL was “rife with racism” in its hiring practices involving Black coaches. He had recently been fired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins.

Two other Black coaches, Steve Wilks and Ray Horton, subsequently joined the lawsuit.