The Pittsburgh Steelers have hired former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores as a defensive assistant and linebackers coach. Flores will continue his lawsuit against the NFL and several of its teams, in which he is alleging discrimination within their hiring practices.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who is one of only two active Black head coaches in the league, praised Flores in a news release on Saturday.
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“I am excited about Brian Flores joining our coaching staff given his history of developing and teaching defensive players during his time in the NFL,” Tomlin said. “Brian’s resume speaks for itself, and I look forward to him adding his expertise to help our team.”
Flores served as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2021, during which time he finished with a record of 24–25. After the 2021 season, the Dolphins fired Flores in a surprising decision. The former head coach later filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL, alleging racial discrimination.
Flores’ legal team, made up of Douglas H. Wigdor and John Elefterakis, issued a statement to TMZ following the announcement of his new position with the Steelers: “We congratulate Coach Flores on his new position with the Steelers and thank Coach Tomlin and the organization for giving him this great opportunity. While Coach Flores is now focused on his new position, he will continue with his race discrimination class action so that real change can be made in the NFL.”
[Via]