On Saturday, the Pittsburgh Steelers hired former Miami Dolphins coach as their senior defensive assistant. Flores will be focusing on the linebackers of Pittsburgh, which includes T.J. Watt, NFL Defensive Player-of-the Year.
This hiring follows less than three weeks since Flores (Black) sued the NFL and three other teams for alleged racist hiring practicesfollowing his dismissal from Miami. Flores was the Dolphins’ winning coach before he was fired in Jan.
Flores has not abandoned the lawsuit, even though he is back in coaching the league.
“While coach Flores is now focusing on his new position,” attorneys Douglas Wigdor, and John Elefterakis stated in a statement Saturday.
Flores is joining a restructured defense staff in Pittsburgh, after Keith Butler, the long-serving coordinator, retired. Teryl Austin was promoted earlier in the month to replace Butler.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stated that Brian Flores will be joining the team as a coach. He cited his experience in teaching and developing defensive players in the NFL. “Brian’s record speaks for itself and I look forward that he will add his expertise to our team.”
Tomlin is the NFL’s longest-tenured Black head coaches and one of three Black men who led teams last season. Flores and Houston’s David Culley were both fired. Houston hired Lovie Smith (Black) and Miami hired Mike McDaniel (biracial).
“The Steelers organization has FIRST CLASS,” Joe Haden, a veteran Pittsburgh cornerback, tweeted after Flores was hired.
Flores claims that the league discriminated against him, and other Black coaches, for racial reasons. They denied them positions as quarterbacks coaches, offensive and defensive coaches, and general managers. Flores claims that Miami offered him $100,000 per losing season in 2019, in order to get a top draft pick.
Although the NFL claims the suit is without merit, Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL, stated before the Super Bowl that “all the allegations, regardless of whether they were based upon racism, discrimination, or the integrity of the game, were all to me very disturbing.”
The league has been forced to review the “Rooney Rule”, a policy named for former Steelers owner Dan Rooney. The policy was first introduced in 2003 and has been expanded to require NFL teams interview multiple minorities for high-profile jobs, including those of head coach or general manager.
Art Rooney II, the current Steelers president, acknowledged that the league has not made progress in hiring head coaches. However, he highlighted strides in the recruitment of women and minorities into various leadership positions.
Flores’ lawsuit specifically names Austin, a case in point of a racist coach who was hired. Austin, a Black man, said to The Associated Press that he was 0 for 11 when interviewing with head coaches during his nearly twenty years of service in the NFL.
As they attempt to improve Pittsburgh’s defense after a disappointing 2022, Flores will be working under Austin. The Steelers reached the playoffs with a record 9-7-1, but they finished 20th in yards allowed and 24th overall. This was the worst season for the team in over 30 years.
Flores was part of the New England Patriots coaching staff between 2004-18 and won four Super Bowl rings. As the Patriots’ defensive play-caller and linebackers coach, Flores spent his last season with New England.
