When it comes to coaching changes, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has morphed into a coward. The man who once took a brilliant flyer on Jimmy Johnson, then later hired Bill Parcells, has settled for milquetoast coaches like Jason Garrett and Mike McCarthy, the latter of whom has clearly lost his fastball.
This time around, Jones needs to go big. The rumor mill has Jones hiring Deion Sanders, but this makes no sense given that the man who calls himself “Coach Prime” may come as a package deal with his quarterback son, Shedeur. But there’s another name floating around the coaching carousel who would change Dallas’s floundering identity, and he deserves serious consideration.
Brian Flores is as tough and hard-nosed as it gets
Flores is an under-the-radar candidate, but that really doesn’t mean much given the nature of the names being thrown around. The former Miami coach proved that he can build or add toughness to a defense, and he’s done that in Minnesota as well.
But Brian Flores has also had some serious lessons to learn. His coaching career blew up for several different reasons in Miami, and a couple of those were attached to Flores’ mercurial nature. When he was fired, rumors quickly surfaced that owner Stephen Ross had offered extra money for Flores to deliberately lose a game to improve the Dolphins draft position as Miami considered the possibility of tanking.
Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL is the fly in the ointment
Betraying the confidences of an NFL owner is obviously a problem, if that’s what actually happened. Flores’ interaction with Ross was buried during an “investigation,” which is basically the league’s way of sweeping controversial incidents under the rug.
But that debacle pales when compared to Flores’ suit against the NFL. When it happened back in 2022 several it was a major news story, especially given the way it put the spotlight on possible discrimination when Flores was passed over for multiple jobs.
The lawsuit hasn’t been settled yet. Even if it was, though, NFL owners have long memories, and suing the sports oligarchy is considered a cardinal sin by NFL billionaires. They passed the Rooney Rule back in 2003 to legislate a series of interviews with minority candidates for every NFL coaching job, but that rule has since devolved into a unique form of tokenism in which solid candidates are often interviewed knowing there’s no chance they’ll actually get the job.
Flores’ coaching style would be a good fit for the Dallas Cowboys
On the field, Flores coaching style could work in Big D. The Dallas Cowboys have become an undisciplined team under McCarthy. Pre-snap penalties are common, and the likes of former Cowboy Troy Aikman has criticized the routes the receivers are running. Moreover, if Dallas gets behind, there’s a good chance they’re going to fold, and they’ve been embarrassed by multiple opponents.
Much of that would go away with Flores, especially if he was supported by the owner. Flores would get to play around with Micah Parsons, who is perhaps the ultimate defensive chess piece right now. On the offensive side of the ball, if Dak Prescott makes a full recovery from his hamstring tear, Flores would have a proven quarterback who would require minimal coaching once the frequent mistakes have been addressed.
The chemistry between Biran Flores and Jerry Jones
The elephant in the room with this hire would be the chemistry between Flores and Jones. Assuming the Cowboys owner is okay with the lawsuit—which would likely be settled during the hiring process—Flores would have to be okay with Jones’ relentless self-promotion and his constant need to be in the limelight.
Flores can’t comment on individual situations, of course, but he has made it clear that he wants another coaching job, and his comments about that process have been contrite. He’d be cheaper and less controlling than someone like Bill Belichick, and Flores offers some of the same strengths with his defensive knowledge and acumen. If Jerry Jones wants to swing big with his next hire, Brian Flores is a legitimate candidate who should get serious consideration.