The Dallas Cowboys have not yet made any decisions – at least not publicly – on their defensive coordinator position, but many fans believe Matt Eberflus will be one-and-done. They’ve also started lining up candidates to replace him – we’ve got 18 names across two lists, courtesy of yours truly – and the hottest name so far has been Brian Flores.
Currently the defensive coordinator with the Vikings, Flores has been one of the best defensive minds in the league for the last few years. But his contract
is up after this season, and Mike Florio recently lent credence to the idea that Dallas may pursue him.
Few would be more thrilled than myself to see Flores on the sidelines in Dallas, especially after campaigning for him to be the head coach this past offseason, but the likelihood of that happening is exceedingly low when considering all of the variables. One of them is his lawsuit against the NFL, and how Jerry Jones may see that situation, and how Flores may view Jones. But beyond that, there are other pressing issues that could keep Flores from Dallas.
Flores has a great situation in Minnesota
The reason Cowboys fans want Flores to run their defense is because his Vikings defenses are crushing it right now. In the three years he’s been in Minnesota, Flores’ Vikings are third in the league in EPA/play allowed. That’s in spite of him taking over a defense that was 20th in EPA/play the year before.
A big part of that has to do with being given the appropriate resources. Minnesota has spent big money on players that fit his scheme, investing heavily along the defensive line and winning free agency bidding wars for top players like Byron Murphy and Jonathan Greenard.
Flores has also built a strong bond with head coach Kevin O’Connell, and both coaches cited that relationship in recent comments that hint Flores wants to remain with the Vikings. O’Connell has empowered Flores to run his defense however he sees fit, as well as offering him a crash course in QB Coaching 101, a critical piece to any head coaching candidacy for Flores.
Not only does Flores have a perfect situation with the roster and his relationship with O’Connell, but the defensive coordinator is also close with Vikings assistant general manager Ryan Grigson. The former head man in Indianapolis, Grigson has been a confidant for Flores in the front office, and the two have been floated as a head coach/GM pair for any applicable openings around the league.
A lateral move to Dallas – or anywhere else, for that matter – would erase all of those factors. He has no relationship with Brian Schottenheimer, who may very well be on the hot seat if he can’t reach the postseason in 2026, and doesn’t really have the pieces to run his scheme in Dallas. He has no connections in the front office here, and his new GM is notoriously averse to spending money in free agency, even when necessary.
Flores has experienced great success in Minnesota, and it’s made him one of the hottest coordinators in the league. Why would he risk all of that to come to a team that isn’t going to make him a head coach?
Flores will have head coach opportunities
Speaking of, Flores hasn’t exactly been shy about his desire to get another head coaching job.
He had one with the Dolphins, and he was fired after becoming the first coach in nearly two decades to lead the franchise to consecutive winning seasons. Flores has acknowledged he made some mistakes in his first go around, especially with the quarterback spot, but is eager for a chance to prove he’s worthy of the top job.
By all accounts, he’s going to get that chance sooner rather than later. Flores interviewed with the Bears, Jets, and Jaguars for their vacancies a year ago. Before that, he interviewed with the Cardinals, Broncos, Giants, and Texans.
And after a third straight year of elite defense, Flores is widely expected to be a top candidate yet again. Of course, that doesn’t always guarantee a hiring, and Flores seems likely to be picky in his second chance. But all reports indicate that Flores will be busy taking head coaching interviews before even thinking about coaching defense anywhere other than Minnesota.
Dallas isn’t really that big a deal
There’s a notion among Cowboys Twitter that Flores would be drawn to the Cowboys because of the potential for greater exposure in chasing a head coaching job. As if Flores hasn’t already drawn plenty of interest for vacancies in the last three years, including a 14-win season just last year. For context, the Cowboys have literally never won that many regular season games.
Never mind the implication that Flores isn’t getting enough exposure where he’s at right now – after all, we’re all talking about him, aren’t we? – but the uncomfortable truth is that Dallas just isn’t that big a deal anymore. Dan Quinn was able to get his second head coaching gig, yes, but it took three years of top 10 defenses to get there. Even then, Quinn was reportedly the Commanders’ second choice after a mid-flight change of opinion for Ben Johnson.
Before Quinn, who was the last Cowboys assistant to land a head coaching gig elsewhere?
Jason Garrett produced zero head coaches from his staffs. Kellen Moore and Matt Eberflus both eventually got there, but well after working under Garrett. Potential retreads like Scott Linehan and Rod Marinelli never got so much as a sniff, even after several strong seasons. Wade Phillips also didn’t grow his coaching tree while in Dallas, unless you count Garrett himself (which you shouldn’t).
In fact, you have to go all the way back to Tony Sparano, who took the Dolphins job in 2008 after coaching the offensive line in Dallas. However, that was largely because Bill Parcells had just taken over as the de facto general manager in Miami and wanted his longtime assistant to lead his team. Before Sparano, it was Sean Payton getting the Saints job way back in 2005.
So that’s three coaches across two decades who have landed a head coaching job directly from their work in Dallas. Considering the Cowboys’ win percentage of .569 ranks seventh in the league over that span, it’s hard to argue with any seriousness that coaches should go to Dallas if they’re looking to land a head coaching job.
