Jaguars Head Coach Search: Pros and Cons to Brian Flores' Candidacy

The Jacksonville Jaguars find themselves in a familiar spot in 2025: looking for a new head coach.

Jaguars owner Shad Khan has gone through five head coaches in 13 years, with each of Mike Mularkey, Gus Bradley, Doug Marrone, Urban Meyer, and Doug Pederson all coming up short in the process.

With the Jaguars search for their next coach now up and running, we are going to take a look at what each candidate brings to the table, their backgrounds and what potential drawbacks could be to their candidacy.

We have already talked about Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Liam Coen. Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

Now, we move onto Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

Background

New England Patriots (2004-2005): Scouting assistant

New England Patriots (2006-2007): Pro scout

New England Patriots (2008–2009) : Special teams assistant

New England Patriots (2010) : Assistant offense & special teams coach

New England Patriots (2011) : Defensive assistant

New England Patriots (2012–2015) : Safeties coach

New England Patriots (2016–2018) : Linebackers coach

Miami Dolphins (2019–2021) : Head coach

Pittsburgh Steelers (2022) : Senior defensive assistant & linebackers coach

Minnesota Vikings (2023–present) : Defensive coordinator

Pros

While there have been mixed reviews on Flores' time with the Dolphins, his locker room in Minnesota has sung his praises over and over. Flores has been seen as a true players coach in Minnesota, which could be a potential sign of his growth as a coach over the years. Coaches can develop just like players can, and Flores could be a prime example.

There is also the fact that Flores has been able to produce strong defensive units without All-Star casts. He had a strong edge duo this year in Minnesota, but otherwise he was getting by with mostly replacement-level talent all along the defensive depth chart. Despite this, he thrived and coached one of the best units in the NFL.

Flores has also learned under two of the NFL's best coaches in the last few seasons. He spent a year with Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin and has now coached under Kevin O'Connell in Minnesota, giving him a chance to see how some of the best winners in the sport have been able to lead programs and develop their cultures.

Cons

The first thing one has to consider is why things went wrong for Flores in Miami. While it is dependent on each person how much they weigh claims from players connected to Flores' time in Miami, two former quarterbacks in Tua Tagovailoa and Ryan Fitzpatrick have spoken about Flores in a negative light due to his stint.

Flores had a so-so record as head coach, but he needs to prove he can build a positive relationship with his quarterback more than anything else. That starts with building a strong offensive staff, something Flores struggled to do during his time as Dolphins head coach. The offensive coordinator position was a particular weak point.

If the Jaguars are looking for a coach who can get the most out of Lawrence, Flores unfortunately has more red flags than most. Among the 10 coaches on the interview list, Flores is likely near the bottom in terms of his track record of fostering a positive developmental situation at the most important position in sports.

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