Why Brian Flores probably won’t be in the mix for the Giants’ head coaching job

NFL insider Tom Pelissero doesn't expect the Giants to consider Brian Flores for their coaching vacancy.

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Brian Flores as the next head coach of the New York Giants? Don't count on it, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

"I don't know that that's the best fit," Pelissero said Thursday during an interview on KFAN-FM 100.3's Power Trip Morning Show. "The Giants' recent history and the need to get Jaxson Dart going would suggest that they're going to hire somebody with an offensive background."

Flores is one of the most respected defensive coaches in the NFL and has experience as a head coach from his days with the Miami Dolphins, making him an intriguing candidate for teams that will inevitably be searching for a new head coach. But the Giants just don't make sense.

Pelissero noted that the Giants haven't hired a head coach with a background in defense since Bill Parcels in 1983. Since then, head coaches who didn't have an "interim" label were all offensive-minded: Dan Reeves, Jim Fassel, Tom Coughlin, Ben McAdoo, Joe Judge, and Brian Daboll.

"If I had to say right now, and again, they're really nowhere yet on the search, I would say that my guess would be it's somebody with an offensive background in that job, Pelissero reiterated. "Flo will be in the mix for interviews again. We'll probably have the usual six, seven, eight openings, and we'll see if the cards fall his direction this time."

The big question is whether Flores will get a realistic shot at being hired as a head coach with his lawsuit against the NFL still hanging in the balance. And, it would be unwise to forget that the Giants were among the several teams Flores sued, along with the league, in February 2022.

The lawsuit alleges racial discrimination in NFL hiring practices. Other coaches, including former Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks, later joined the class-action lawsuit, which seeks damages and changes to the league's hiring practices for coaching and executive positions.

The lawsuit came after Flores was fired as the Dolphins' head coach and passed up for other head-coaching vacancies in the ensuing hiring cycle. It alleged that the NFL "lives in a time of the past" and "remains rife with racism, particularly when it comes to the hiring and retention of Black
Head Coaches, Coordinators and General Managers."

Flores has been passed over despite going through several interviews over the past two hiring cycles.