Sunday, Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers countered Brian Flores’ Minnesota Vikings defense. In another universe, the Dublin game could’ve been played with Flores still on the Steelers’ coaching staff.
When Mike Tomlin first reached out to Flores in 2022 after the latter was fired as the Miami Dolphins head coach, it wasn’t with the hope of hiring him. Then the conversation moved that way and Flores was tabbed as an assistant. Viewed as a one-year stopgap, Tomlin admits it could’ve led to a longer stay.
“Initially it was about getting a qualified coach back into the fold, and having the pleasure of his expertise,” Tomlin told Steelers.com editor Bob Labriola in an interview published before Sunday’s game. “But certainly after that initial thought, it was obvious that he fit in around here. And so there was a potential of more than that, but opportunity came knocking (for him), and I certainly wished him well.”
Blackballed by the rest of the NFL after suing the league and multiple teams over discrimination allegations, Flores went from NFL head coach to nearly out of a job. Pittsburgh provided a landing spot as a defensive assistant primarily working with the linebackers, learning from the Steelers’ coaching staff. After the year, the Vikings hired him as defensive coordinator where he’s gone on to be one of the most creative, and successful, in football.
Tomlin credited Flores for never assuming his time in Pittsburgh was a short-term stay.
“He bought a house here, immediately moved his family here. His kids went to Shady Side Academy. He lived the Pittsburgh experience,” Tomlin said.
Many fans regret the “experience” lasted just one season. Some suggested the team fire defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and promote Flores to the role. Ben Roethlisberger recently lamented the decision to let Flores leave. But that was never going to happen. Firing one coach to make way for another is rarely done around the NFL and definitely not by the Steelers.
Even if Flores seemingly was happy in Pittsburgh, being the defensive coordinator would’ve still meant working under the defensive-minded Tomlin, who has a big hand in orchestrating the Steelers’ defense. In Minnesota, Flores is running the show under quarterback guru head coach Kevin O’Connell.
Tomlin told Labriola quality coaches leaving is just “part of the game.” All the team can do now is focus on who it has, not who it doesn’t, and the good news is the Steelers’ defense just played its best game of the season to beat Flores and the Vikings to improve to 3-1.
