O'Connell addresses reports, uncertain future for DC Brian Flores

With one game left before his contract expires, Brian Flores' future has become a major topic of discussion late in this Vikings season. Their outstanding defensive coordinator could potentially be a head coaching candidate in the offseason, and there's also been some reporting that other teams — including the Dallas Cowboys — could look to poach Flores to be their DC.

Asked about that topic on Monday, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said there have been internal discussions with Flores and made it clear that he wants his top assistant to stick around.

"Yeah we have (had discussions about his future)," O'Connell said. "And (that) goes back a long way before those reports. We've had recent dialogue, very good dialogue. Flo knows I love him. He was the guy, three years ago, that I identified to bring in here. Our relationship and what he's meant to me personally is so massive, and that's not even taking into account what he's been able to do defensively for our team. Been such a huge part of helping us daily, minute to minute, weather the different storms we had to navigate this year.

"Things are in a really positive place right now. I absolutely want Brian Flores to be the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings as long as we can have him. I do know that he's demonstrated a lot of things that — having gone through the a head coach hiring process before myself, I imagine he's gonna be a pretty popular guy there, and rightly so. He's earned everything. And that doesn't take away from the route we wanna go to make sure he's our defensive coordinator here for the foreseeable future."

O'Connell and the Vikings initially hired Ed Donatell to coordinate their defense in this regime's inaugural season in 2022, then parted ways with him and went in a totally different direction by hiring Flores in 2023. It's been a smashing success of a hire. Over the last three years, the Vikings' defense ranks third in opponent EPA per play. Flores' unique scheme has elevated all kinds of players and been a major reason for Minnesota's success, especially in 2024. Had the Vikings gotten even average quarterback play this season, the defense would've carried them back to the playoffs.

If another team wants to hire Flores as their head coach in the upcoming cycle, the Vikings will be powerless to stop them. Flores, who spent three years as the Dolphins' head coach (2019-21), took a few interviews last year but did not land a HC gig. His lawsuit against the NFL and his handling of Tua Tagovailoa in Miami remain potential barriers between Flores and another shot at leading a team, but his resume as a coordinator is very strong.

The other possibility that's been rumored is that a team could try to aggressively hire Flores away from the Vikings to be their defensive coordinator. That would be a lateral move, and the Vikings would theoretically be able to match any contract he was offered. Plus, every indication is that Flores has enjoyed being in Minnesota.

If Flores isn't a head coach next season, O'Connell doesn't expect him to be coordinating a defense anywhere other than where he's been for the last three years.

"Based upon my dialogue with him and obviously the enthusiasm and the want-to for us to get something done, I don't," O'Connell said. "I know he enjoys being here. I know him and I, just from our recent dialogue, that he feels very similar about me that I do with him. I know I'm excited about when, hopefully, I can come to this podium and say he's going to be here for as long as we can keep him here before another team makes him their head coach."

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